Recently — this week, in fact — I bought my first Stream Deck. Specifically, I decided to try the Stream Deck Mini, the smaller and more affordable model. Why? Because I saw how much fun many of my colleagues had with their colleagues.
The Stream Deck is a device that allows you to program a series of physical buttons (and in the case of the Plus buttons, knobs) to perform a single task or series of tasks on your computer or on smart devices in your home. In other words, it lets you do something that would normally require several keystrokes—say, start a new email, drop in a template, and send it to a specific contact list—with the push of a button. Neat, isn’t it?
Well, many employees at the edge I think Stream Deck is exceptionally neat, and they’ve used hardware to make work more efficient, to make gameplay more fun, and — well, just to tinker with technology. So since I’m a complete beginner, I thought I’d find out some ways my co-workers work for their co-workers.
By the way, if you’re also a fan of Stream Deck and want to try some hacks, you can find plugins at Elgato’s site, ideas and tips on Reddit – or you can just Google what you’d like to try and see what happens.
In the meantime, here’s how some of the folks here at the edge Their broadcasts were used.
Alex Kranz, managing editor
I know. Our own review of the Stream Deck Plus said most people don’t need the Stream Deck Plus, and I know I could have gone a more fun and hacky route, but I wanted buttons, knobs, and a relatively easy setup. So far, I’m using Stream Deck Plus. In terms of the button, I mainly use it to quickly open a new page for posts on the edge. I have buttons for every story type, and have customized a few edge logo for each button. I’ve also set up a few hacks with the HomeControl app so I can control all my Philips Hue lights from my Stream Deck Plus, which is convenient, even if I often forget to do so.
But I bought the Stream Deck Plus because I wanted knobs instead of just buttons, so it’s no surprise that the knob use cases are my favorite. I have knobs for the volume on my computer and the brightness of the key light that I use for video calls. I use it several times an hour – more than the 12 buttons I programmed. The handles work well and I wish they had more use cases. I love being able to control every light in my house or control the volume for multiple audio outputs. I’m sure this kind of control is just a hack. I just need to find it.
Liam James, Lead Producer, The Vergecast