Simon Says... Buy This OpenAI Mechanical Keyboard Thingy
OpenAI and the mechanical keyboard company Work Louder are up to something on July 15, according to a vaguepost from the OpenAI Developers X account:
Your favorite Codex shortcuts are getting an upgrade.
Vibe coding and mechanical keyboards are two hopelessly dweeby tastes that combine beautifully, like Celsius and peptides. So it’s only natural that OpenAI would release a thingamabob that turns some of the common Codex shortcuts—presumably some of the ones outlined here—into button-presses with illumination.
The device in the X post (which presumably has nothing to do with OpenAI’s upcoming Jony Ive-affiliated device) very much looks like a modified Work Louder macro pad, which we at Gizmodo recommended enthusiastically back in 2023. Figma released a custom Work Louder macro pad later that same year. A macro pad is a small array of customizable inputs that sits on your desk, allowing you to do all your favorite key-presses and knob-turns on a device that looks and feels nicer (presumably) than your regular keyboard.
But that’s just the beginning if you’re a believer in this type of device. The way this sort of thing has been explained to me in dimly lit rooms full of loudly humming CPU fans is that sensory feedback—clicks, bleeps, blinking lights, etc.—cuts down on errors and increases efficiency.
And that’s a legitimate thing to want if you ask me.
Eric Migicovsky, leader of the revived Pebble, is making smartwatches for himself. You're just along for the ride.
Stay cool and enjoy the long, sunny days ahead with these gadgets to upgrade your life this summer and beyond.
Some call it a dangerous path to runaway AI, others call it vibe research.
"We don’t believe this kind of government access process should become the long-term default," OpenAI said in a Friday announcement.
Publishers and artists aren’t the only ones accusing AI startups of foul play these days.
The company behind ChatGPT is heating up its efforts to achieve technological independence.