Devlog: Local storage bugs and building a Cmd+K menu

For this update, I wanted to make the app actually usable without a mouse and fix a few state issues before shipping the MVP.

What I added

• Auto-saving: Before this, if you accidentally refreshed the page, you lost all your notes. I hooked up Zustand’s persist middleware so everything auto-saves straight to localStorage as you type.
• Cmd+K Menu: Built a global command palette from scratch. You can hit Cmd+K, search your notes, use the up/down arrow keys to navigate, and hit enter to jump to an experiment or instantly create a new one.

Bugs I ran into

1. Local storage corruption
Right after setting up the persist middleware, the app gave me a blank screen and threw a TypeError: notes.filter is not a function error. Zustand was pulling some corrupted object from an old browser cache, which broke the array. I fixed it by changing the storage key to clear the cache, and wrapped my state in an Array.isArray() check so it won’t crash if it reads weird data in the future.

2. React hook order error
While testing the command palette, I got the classic React “Rules of Hooks” error. I accidentally put an early return (if (!isOpen) return null;) above my last useEffect. Whenever I opened the modal, React freaked out because the number of hooks rendered suddenly changed. I just moved the hook above the early return and it works perfectly now.

Everything is stable and the keyboard navigation is feeling really smooth.

Devlog 3

Hey guys, I had just updated the heatset inserts in my case to fit more snuggly.

I increased the diameter of the holes in the bottom of the case from 2.9mm to 4.2mm as recommended by @kojii.

MiniMac Complete

Project Overview
The MiniMac hardware assembly and firmware programming are officially finished.

Development Highlights

• The CAD design features a 4x4 ortholinear layout.
• The chassis was 3D printed to fit the RP2040 controller.

Hardware Design

The physical build was optimized for desk space.
#define MATRIX_COL_PINS was used in the config.h to ensure the RP2040 correctly registers every key press.

Firmware Logic

The firmware is now stable and fully operational.
I used QMK since I want to eventually add layers of functions into MiniMac. (idek how yet)

I appreciate the support throughout this project and hope to create more!

Mini Mac - My Macropad - #1

This is my first Macropad. I decided to create this to fulfill the functions and shortcuts my 75% keyboard could not, such as screenshots.

I have finally finished the schematic and PCB after much trial and error. Especially downloading footprints from GrabCad and editing pads and copper lines within .pretty files.

My next goal is to create the casing for this in Fusion 360.

Highlights

• Polished homepage copy and improved mobile spacing in CSS.

• Added a light/dark mode

What I worked on

• Standardized header/navigation across pages.

• Fixed a few layout breakpoints for mobile in CSS.

Next steps

• Write a short case study for the top project.

• Optimize images and add lazy-loading.

Demo: https://kaleb973.github.io/Kaleb-Web/

I finished the frontend of my website.

After repeatedly consulting the W3 Schools advanced CSS guides, I was able to finish the UI/UX part of my site.

As I kept building, I added more structure to the site with separate pages for my background, projects, and a custom 404 page. One of the biggest challenges was making the site feel consistent across all of those pages instead of just having one good-looking homepage. I had to work through layout issues, spacing problems, and styling differences so everything would feel like part of the same site. I also spent time fixing favicon and asset problems, which took some trial and error before everything displayed correctly. The biggest improvement came when I focused on the frontend polish. I refined the CSS, improved the spacing and responsiveness, and gave the site a more finished visual identity. That meant going back and reworking parts that already worked but did not look as clean or intentional as I wanted. I also removed unused assets and cleaned up the project so it stayed focused. Overall, the site went from a simple personal page into a more complete portfolio that better reflects who I am and the kind of work I want to share.

Demo link: https://kaleb973.github.io/Kaleb-Web/

I started by making the first base commit for the project, then I built out the README and started shaping the main direction of ERN as a fast electronic research notebook. From there, I added the command palette, updated the environment and .gitignore setup, and built the password gate so the app could have controlled access. After that, I connected the frontend, wired up the live TipTap text editor on the canvas, and then continued refining the writing experience with text formatting tools, BubbleMenu changes, and heading fixes.

After the core editor was working, I spent time tightening the interface and making the notebook feel more usable, including several rounds of fixes and rollback/rebuild work around headings and the BubbleMenu. I also went through a couple of test commits while iterating, then finalized the Alpha-1 and Alpha-1b milestones. Most recently, I updated the live demo URL in the README and cleaned up my Git setup so my commits could push correctly with my GitHub noreply email.

Right now, the project is synced to origin and ready for the next build-out phase.