Glyphs devlog #3
—Hello again proggers—
Not a build day, a thinking day. Spent it all on planning — connectivity options, shipping headaches, and the actual hard problem of fitting a full steno layout inside the Hackpad’s constraints.
no code today, just a lot of staring at ideas
Cat or dog? 2.4GHz
Okay let’s get into it~
—Yap—
After devlog #2’s layout cuts, this round was less “build” and more “figure out what’s even possible.” Turns out connectivity and shipping logistics matter just as much as board space when you’re actually planning to ship this thing.
—The Great Suffering—
1 — Connectivity: 2.4GHz Dongle Planning
Spent real time on how Glyphs should actually connect to a computer. Landed on planning around a 2.4GHz dongle rather than going straight to something like Bluetooth, and worked through what that means for the board and firmware side.
2 — Shipping Is Its Own Problem
Turns out getting parts shipped isn’t a given — some items for this project have to come by sea specifically because of where I’m located, which changes timelines in a way that pure design work doesn’t account for. Something to actually plan around, not just an afterthought.
3 — Full Steno Layout vs. Hackpad Constraints
The core design problem of the day: fitting a genuinely full steno layout onto a board that’s still fundamentally built off Hackpad’s constraints from devlog #1. Not a solved problem yet, but the shape of it is a lot clearer after today.
steno layouts want space, Hackpad’s constraints don’t care what steno layouts want
—FAQ (no one asked these but they are here)—
Q: What is a “progger”?
A: A human programmer. You. Except today was mostly planning, so no code got progged.
Q: Why a 2.4GHz dongle instead of Bluetooth?
A: Still early planning, but it’s the direction being worked through for now over other wireless options.
Q: Why does shipping matter this much?
A: Because sea shipping for certain parts means real lead time that has to get factored into planning now, not discovered late.
Q: Is the full steno layout figured out yet?
A: Not solved, but better understood after today’s planning session.
Q: Any actual hardware work today?
A: No, pure planning day. Building resumes once the shape of these decisions is clearer.
—This is the end*—
*end for now, sea freight permitting
POKE!!!