Once the dongle was confirmed working, a new 3D shell was printed for it, replacing the original which had to be broken off.
Then, with an inspection of the severed traces and lifted components, it was simply a matter of reflowing solder a few times to try to make the board whole again.
After sliding out the metal casing for the USB plug and snapping off the plastic housing, discovered that the slightly bent exterior hid a deeply cracked PCB. The wireless adapter in question, which came from one of his clients who accidentally bent it while it was plugged into a laptop, refused to be recognized by a computer under any circumstances. Of particular note to Mac users is an option to always keep the keyboard in Mac layout.Faced with a broken USB dongle for our wireless devices, most of us would likely bin the part and order a replacement, after all the diminutive size of those things probably means hard to impossible repairability, right? Well, took it as a challenge and used the opportunity to practice his microscopic soldering skills just for funsies.
The software also lets you see what devices are paired with each Easy Switch, manage on-screen notifications, and enable/disable battery saving mode. Once you download it, you can remap any of the function/media keys, as wells as the calculator, screen capture, look up, and lock keys by selecting it from a graphic image and choosing from a list of shortcut options. Like the MX Master 3 mouse, the keyboard can be customized with Logitech Options software. It even works across operating systems I used it regularly to transfer files between a MacBook Air and an Acer laptop. And because the MX Keys follows the MX Master 3 from one computer to another, you can type on multiple devices in one seamless workflow. Better yet, you can transfer images, text, and even entire folders between computers by copying them on one and pasting them on the other. Once that’s done you can use the mouse across computers simply by dragging the cursor off the edge of one screen and onto the other. All the computers have to be on the same network, with the Logitech Options software installed on each and Flow enabled in it. If like me, however, you tend to use multiple computers at the same time, you can use the MX Keys in combination with the MX Master 3 mouse to control them simultaneously using Logitech Flow. Once multiple devices are paired with the keyboard, you can switch among them by toggling the Easy Switch button to the appropriate channel.
You’re asked to enter a numerical code on the keyboard and press the Easy Switch button again to complete the pairing. Then find and select MX Keys from the list of available Bluetooth devices on the laptop, tablet, or phone you’re trying to connect. For the latter you press one of the Easy Switch buttons until its LED blinks to indicate it’s in pairing mode. You can connect up to three devices via the Unifying Receiver or Bluetooth. Many of the keys can be mapped to other shortcuts in the Logitech Option software.
Just plug this dongle into a free USB-A port on your PC or Mac, and the computer should recognize the keyboard instantly. Connectivityīoth the MX Keys and the MX Master 3 mouse connect your computer via the Logitech Unifying Receiver.
A pair of dedicated buttons gives you manual control over several levels of illumination, so it should be easy to find a sweet spot between those extremes. Logitech says the battery should last about 10 days with backlighting always on, and a generous 5 months with it off. At the same time, a battery indicator above the number pad will glow red and you’ll receive an onscreen notification. This backlighting turns off automatically when the battery falls below 10-percent charge.
MX Keys is also outfitted with proximity sensors, so the keys illuminate when your hands approach the keyboard and fade when you move them away. These last can be “set” to either function or media by pressing Fn+Esc, so you never need to hold the Fn key. The full-size keyboard (16 x 5.18 x 0.8 inches) replicates the layout of the luxurious Logitech Craft, with alphanumeric keys, a number pad, and a dozen function keys that double as multimedia controls. MX Keys keyboard is roomy and comfortable to use.