Technologies

Corsair K100 Air Gaming Keyboard Review: A Sleek Design for a Steep Price

This ultrathin mechanical gaming keyboard does it all and looks good doing it, but all those features don’t come cheap.

There are a couple reasons a keyboard can get as expensive as Corsair’s $280 K100 Air (£280, roughly AU$415): If it’s a modular gaming keyboard that you essentially build yourself or if it’s wildly feature-packed while supporting wireless operation. The K100 Air falls firmly into the latter class, with $250 competitors like the Logitech G915 Lightspeed and the Razer DeathStalker V2 Pro. And I feel the same way about the K100 Air as the DeathStalker — I love it, but that’s a high price to pay.

Corsair K100 Air

$280 at Amazon

$280 at Best Buy

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Like

Thin enough to slide under things like monitor stands
Can store the multidevice wireless dongle on board
Dongle is PS4 and PS5 compatible

Don’t Like

Secondary key functions (like @ or %) aren’t backlit well enough
Crumbs can get stuck under keycaps

The broad set of features includes 2.4GHz wireless, three Bluetooth pairings and wired operation, four dedicated macro keys, 2.4GHz compatibility with the PS4 and PS5, and 8MB memory to store up to 50 custom profiles on board. That’s on top of the usual per-key RGB lighting, gaming features and media keys. As with all these keyboards, some of the features aren’t available on console, such as customizing the backlight rather than cycling through the presets. It also lets you boost the polling rate to as high as 8,000Hz when connected via USB, which I’m not sure you really need.

It’s also the thinnest of the bunch, mostly because the Cherry MX Ultra Low Profile mechanical switches it uses are laptop-thin (Logitech and Razer use their own), with the keycaps sitting much closer to the surface. Normally I don’t care much about relative thickness, but in this case it means I can slide the keyboard underneath my monitor stand.

The flip side is that if you get crumbs beneath the keycap on the other models you can easily shake them out. They’re less likely to fall in under the K100’s keycaps, but if they do, they’re hard to dislodge. And they’re not replaceable. I had one brief incident where a key got stuck, but a little pounding seemed to do the trick and I haven’t had any other issues.

Corsair K100 Air showing wireless adapter docked in the rear of the keyboard — It comes with one of those easy-to-lose wireless dongles, but there’s also a place to dock it in the keyboard to minimize its chance of going MIA.

Josh Goldman/CNET

It’s a full-size keyboard, and pretty well designed; stiff, with balanced keys (no spacebar wobbling) and concave keycaps that prevent finger slippage. It uses one of Corsair’s small Slipstream multidevice USB dongles, which has a little nook to slide into. That’s not an issue if you stick it into your system and forget it, but my box o’ dongles overfloweth. The multidevice dongle is only compatible with a handful of Corsair devices at the moment, though.

The edges of the aluminum top plate feel a little sharp, but just annoyingly sharp — not bloodthirsty. It also suffers from one of my pet peeves, a lack of backlighting on secondary characters like «$» and «%».

The K100 Air only comes with tactile switches. Because of the laptop-like short travel distance, it’s hard to feel a separate actuation level — you kind of press hard and they bounce — and I’m not sure that they’re well suited for games where a quick, light touch is required. But if all you’re doing is WASD-ing around with some interaction, it’s nice.

And it’s comfortable for typing, with enough force to minimize accidental strokes. It’s especially suitable if typical wireless keyboards leave you cold (raises hand). Because it’s relatively quiet for a nonlinear mechanical switch, it’s appropriate for work as well.

Corsair rates the battery for about 50 hours with the backlight off. I work and play in the dark, so my backlight is always on, and I get a few days on it before I feel compelled to plug it in.

A close up of the media roller, media keys, macro keys and other typical groups of keys like the number pad. — The K100 Air is a full size keyboard with the typical accoutrements you expect from a pricey model, like a volume roller and media keys.

Josh Goldman/CNET

Switching among the various wireless connections is seamless, though it’s a little frustrating that there doesn’t seem to be a way to switch between wired and the Bluetooth connections — you can switch to Bluetooth, but not back. So, for example, gaming wired on your system and answering Slack messages or taking notes on your phone (raises hand again) is cumbersome.

It took me a while to get used to the feel of the keyboard, but I’ve come to like it a lot. It’s definitely great for typing and general work, and decent for casual gaming. (That’s «casual» in the «what-comes-below-enthusiast» sense.) That price tag is probably a big sticking point for some people, but if you’re OK forking over $250 for the competition then it’s certainly worth the extra $30. And if it goes on sale, it’s definitely worth thinking about.

The best laptops in every category

Technologies

Episode 3 of the VERUM AI Mini-Series Is Now Available

Verum Messenger has released the third episode of its AI mini-series, SHADOWS, created using Verum AI.

The new episode, titled «Ghost Money,» continues the story of the conflict between a team of heroes and the Omega corporation, which seeks to take control of digital communications. This time, the focus shifts to anonymous payments and financial freedom, revealing how privacy can extend beyond messaging.

Like the previous episodes, the new release not only advances the storyline but also showcases the capabilities of the Verum ecosystem, highlighting technologies designed for secure communication and digital privacy.

The mini-series consists of seven episodes, released gradually across Verum Messenger’s social media channels.

Episode 3 is now available. Stay tuned for the next chapter.

Watch on Instagram
Watch on YouTube

Technologies

Verum Finance Now Available for Mac, Expanding the Verum Ecosystem on Desktop

Verum has officially released Verum Finance for macOS, bringing its financial platform to the Mac and expanding access to the Verum ecosystem across Apple’s devices. The launch allows users to manage their finances from desktop while enjoying the same secure and seamless experience available on iPhone and iPad.

The new Mac version includes the full range of Verum Finance features, including balance management, instant transfers to other Verum users, debit card management, Apple Pay support, asset exchange, and transaction history — all optimized for the macOS experience.

Verum Finance can be used as a standalone application or alongside Verum Messenger. Users who sign in with their Verum Messenger account automatically synchronize their balances, settings, and account data across devices, ensuring a consistent experience throughout the Verum ecosystem.

The macOS release further strengthens Verum’s vision of creating an integrated digital platform where communication and financial services work together. Verum Messenger, which is also available for Mac, complements the ecosystem with encrypted messaging, voice and video calls, VPN, eSIM, anonymous email, AI-powered tools, offline communication capabilities, and cryptocurrency features.

With both Verum Messenger and Verum Finance now available across iPhone, iPad, and Mac, users can access secure communication and financial services wherever they work.

Verum Finance for Mac is available now through the Mac App Store.

Verum Finance for macOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/verum-finance/id6774245148
Verum Finance: https://finance.verum.im
Verum Messenger: https://verum.im

Technologies

Why Travelers Are Switching to Verum E-SIM This Summer

Summer Travel, Freedom, and Seamless Connectivity: Why Verum E-SIM Is Becoming the New Standard for Travelers

Summer is the peak season for vacations, long-distance trips, and new experiences. Millions of people travel abroad, explore new countries, plan adventures, and try to stay connected with family, work, and social media. And in the middle of all this comes a familiar question: how do you stay online without expensive roaming or the hassle of buying local SIM cards?

The answer is already here — eSIM.

Why eSIM Is So Convenient

eSIM (embedded SIM) is a built-in digital SIM card that lets you activate mobile internet without a physical card. All you need is an app — choose a plan and connect in just a couple of minutes.

No more:

* searching for local SIM cards at airports
* paying expensive roaming fees
* swapping physical SIMs every time you travel

Now your internet travels with you.

Internet in 150+ Countries

Modern eSIM solutions provide coverage in 150+ countries worldwide, helping tourists, freelancers, and business travelers stay connected almost anywhere on the planet.

Among the services offering these capabilities:

Verum E-SIM — https://esim.verum.im
World E-SIM — https://worldesim.me
USA E-SIM — https://usa.esim.verum.im
Euro E-SIM — https://euro.esim.verum.im
Canada E-SIM — https://canada.esim.verum.im
Balkan E-SIM — https://balkan.esim.verum.im
Ukraine E-SIM — https://ukraine.esim.verum.im
London E-SIM — https://london.esim.verum.im
E-SIM Africa — https://africa.esim.verum.im