BYOK: Not Yet Ready for Steno :(

Well, I finally got my long-awaited BYOK, but unfortunately it doesn't work with any of the four steno machines I tried on it (all running different versions of Javelin, including one in compatibility mode). Apparently it's a problem with the implementation of the HID protocol on the BYOK firmware, and according to Tharelia that's likely to be causing problems with all NKRO keyboards, not just steno machines, so with luck the other customers struggling with similar issues will pressure the company to prioritize a fix. I hope they do, because it's a lovely little machine, and I can see myself using it for novel writing, editing, maybe even live captioning! Fingers crossed they figure it out soon.

Steno Stednesdays

Jonas says:

I've been learning lapwing for a few months, currently have my wpm between 30 and 60 depending on my familiarity with the text. As I've also been getting back into twitch streaming I've started up "Steno Stednesdays" on Wednesdays to share my progress and chat while I practice!
My next one will be today at 1pm pacific, and I plan to post here whenever I go live in case anyone wants to tune in!
ChannelJonas

OT Dude on Steno

This is an old post by an Occupational Therapist on his early attempts to learn steno. I thought it was really interesting. I've often wondered whether there could be any potential crossover between occupational therapy and steno. Sadly I wasn't able to find any updates on his blog about how the process has been going over the past few years. I just learned that a friend of mine has been practicing steno every week for a year, but hasn't built much speed. What's the secret? What can open steno do to make the process easier and more efficient? I wish I knew! Its all a bit mysterious to me, but I hope that someday we figure out how to crack it.

Mejiro31 - Forthcoming New Stenoboard

Jeebis from the Open Steno Discord has designed a new board called the Mejiro31 and is planning to sell it on Yushakobo when it's ready! It looks very sleek and cool, doesn't it?

Stenokeyboards Sale

Some good deals going at Stenokeyboards right now!

Discord Server Renamed

The Plover Discord Server has been renamed Open Steno to better reflect the community it represents. Still the same lovely friendly nerdy place, though! Come check it out if you haven't already.

Extra Connectivity on Javelin

Tharelia writes:

Javelin has had a large number of internal changes and now supports extra connectivity methods for the Web Tools.

Previously, Javelin only supported WebHID. It has now gained support for WebSerial and WebBluetooth.

The original intention was to support all Javelin keyboards on Android via Chrome, however, I found out after it was implemented that Chrome only supports RFCOMM Serial, and not USB Serial 🙁 Since it has limited usefulness, it'll only appear on the main menu if WebHID is not available; but can be manually selected in the Console Tool. It is now available as a high speed, single-device option. Requires 2025-12-01 firmware or later.

WebBluetooth does work on Android though (with a little finnicky set up), so it's now possible to use the Jarne with all of the Web Tools wirelessly on Android now!

Note: Since the Bluetooth descriptors have been updated, Jarne users should forget and re-pair their devices after updating their firmware.