Connect with us

Developers

Gadgets for the keychain: Mini Game Boy, power bank, tools Good keychains help in everyday life. We show curious models that serve as charging cables, power banks, memory sticks, card readers or game consoles. 8:00 p.m. tech stage

Developers Youtube

"God of War Ragnarök": Story trailer shows fresh gameplay scenes

Developers Youtube

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will be released on May 12th

Developers iphone

Sonos Sub Mini: Bigger bass for less money​

Developers

Streaming service: ProSiebenSat.1 wants to take over Joyn completely

Developers

Live streams: Sony and Nintendo show new games on Tuesday

Developers

Top 10 power stations up to 500 euros: Inexpensive emergency power for the blackout Solar generators with photovoltaic panels enable a self-sufficient power supply in the event of a power failure. TechStage shows the best models from the tests. 8:00 p.m. tech stage

Developers Twitter

Babylon 5: Series creator Straczynski announces secret project for 2023

Apple Developers iOS iphone

iOS 16 detects fake AirPods

Developers

Everything dark: Miniseries about a blackout in Europe now on German TV

Developers

Gadgets for the keychain: Mini Game Boy, power bank, tools Good keychains help in everyday life. We show curious models that serve as charging cables, power banks, memory sticks, card readers or game consoles. 8:00 p.m. tech stage

Published

2 years ago

on

gadgets for the keychain mini game boy power bank tools.jpeg

Good key fobs not only keep the keys together, but also help in everyday life. We show curious models that serve as charging cables, power banks, memory sticks, card readers or game consoles.

It doesn’t matter whether the bunch of keys is large or rather slim, key fobs make the constant companion really individual. In addition to classic pendants with sayings or logos, bottle openers or shopping trolley chips, there is a whole range of really practical models.

We have selected a few variants that we recommend based on our own experience and summarized them here.

Mini consoles or Tamagotchi trailers are relatively clumsy and above all a gag.

Keyfinders are a very practical gadget for the bunch of keys . Long and tiresome searches for the key are now a thing of the past. The whereabouts are conveniently determined by remote control or smartphone and displayed by a beep. The range of the top models is over 100 meters. Simple key finders work with a remote control – the control here is very simple. You can’t do much more with it than trigger the alarm. Trackers with Bluetooth are significantly more powerful here. Our comparison test of 14 key finders shows what else the practical helpers for controlling via smartphone can do . It is less conspicuous than an external key findersmart key holder with integrated LED and Tile Bluetooth tracker . Although it is very practical and compact, it costs a whopping 50 to 70 euros.

Ultimately, most key finders differ only in details. The only real exception is Apple’s key finder. The Airtag (test report) also works as a live tracker thanks to effective software, but only with iOS. In order to attach this gadget to the bunch of keys, however, you first need an additional holder. Because there is so much to choose from, we show the must-have accessories for AirTags in a separate guide.

Key finders help to find keys and smartphones.

In order to pump some electricity into your smartphone or camera in the car or on the laptop, you need the right charging cable. Stupid only if this is at home. In such situations, the always ready-to-hand charging cable on the bunch of keys helps . They may be short, but they are always with you.

These two charging cables look very similar. However, the rear model only has a Lightning connector. The front also has Micro-USB and USB-C.

The cables and adapters are available in numerous designs and with different plugs. The most flexible are the multi-charging cables with classic USB-A to USB-C, micro-USB and the Apple Lightning port.

Variants with a magnetic closure are convenient to use, but they can also be lost quickly. We also recommend purchasing a model with a protective cap. Otherwise, the connectors can get dirty during transport in your trouser pocket and, in the worst case, be damaged.

Experience has shown that these cables do not last forever and are also easily lost. Our private cable is therefore in a pocket of our backpack instead of hanging on the bunch of keys.

It’s extremely annoying when your smartphone, smartwatch, headphones or action cam go out of power while you’re out and about. It’s even worse when there isn’t an outlet available far and wide. It’s useful to have a power bank to hand. It doesn’t have to be big or heavy. The capacity of the mini power banks for the bunch of keys is not particularly high, but that’s not the point. The small battery for your pocket serves as an emergency power supply and the available models are sufficiently dimensioned for this. If you don’t want to carry an additional cable with you, you should get a model with an integrated charging cable.

Users of the Apple Watch can even conveniently and wirelessly recharge them on the go with small Qi power banks for their bunch of keys . Thanks to its compact dimensions, the practical emergency battery looks like an ordinary trailer.

Although action cams, cameras and drones now transmit their recordings wirelessly, it is worth buying a card reader for your bunch of keys if you use them frequently . The transmission speed of the card reader is significantly higher than that via Bluetooth or WLAN. If you want to transfer your videos from Gopro or Mavic Mini (test report) to your smartphone, for example, you save a lot of time and at the same time protect the battery of the devices.

Memory sticks, charging cables and card readers are available with multifunctional USB ports for USB, Micro-USB, USB-C and Lightning connections.

In addition to the classic USB-A connection, the readers are also available with Lightning, Micro-USB or USB-C connections. The most flexible are models with several connection options. These should be protected against dirt and damage. Whether the card reader accepts several memory card sizes or, for example, only micro SD cards depends on personal needs.

Although the internal memory of smartphones is often sufficient, an additional USB stick for the bunch of keys is extremely useful. The memory sticks, which are available in a very compact design, not only offer space for videos and photos from the last family reunion, they are also ideal for backing up your own smartphone.

The USB sticks are available with different connections and designs.

So that the USB sticks can be used both on the mobile phone and on the computer, they should have at least two different connectors. For the longest possible service life, these should be protected against external influences by a cover.

We recommend buying a model that is as compact as possible. Experience has shown that the design has hardly any influence on the final price. However, we would be suspicious of extremely cheap memories, as our colleagues from Heise.de found out that they could be fakes.

Otherwise, there are plenty of practical and surprising tools for the bunch of keys. For example, how about a Zigbee remote control to control smart home functions? Or have you ever thought about what it would be like if every television could be switched over or switched off? If you want to play a joke on your friends, you should hang a universal TV off switch on your key ring. The small remote controls are able to turn off almost any standard TV or change the volume.

Tools such as screwdrivers for glasses or the classic Swiss army knife in mini format are much more universal and practical in the long term . Such little helpers make everyday life easier and take up very little space in your pocket. For bikers and campers we recommend the miniature compressed air tester. A brief check of the tire pressure protects against unnecessary trouble and the small tool saves the trip to the nearest gas station.

Or how about a key ring in James Bond style? Questionable under data protection law, but definitely exciting, are tiny video cameras and voice recorders for the bunch of keys. You shouldn’t expect too high quality, but the small dictation devices starting at 30 euros can definitely be used for short notes.

Smartphone or not – flashlights on a bunch of keys are practical and always close at hand. The very compact lamps help in many everyday situations and protect the smartphone battery. If you use your lamp more often, you should buy a version with a rechargeable battery. This is actually only necessary for very intensive use.

This LED is a bit bulky, but extremely bright. 

The Lego lamp in the Star Wars design has served us well in recent years and is also suitable as an activity for children. The built-in button cell has lasted for a good 24 months despite regular use.

UV lamps for the bunch of keys are suitable for searching for counterfeit money or invisible stains . There is more information on the subject in our guidebook Brutally bright and still cheap: Luminaires for the way to school, sports and walks .

Luminous lanyards or pendants with a tritium light source , as known from high-quality dials, help when looking for the bunch of keys .

Friends of old retro games should have a mini version of the Gameboy on their keychain. In addition to entertaining gaming for the next bus ride, it primarily serves as a statement and visual eye-catcher. This also applies to one of the Tamagotchi-style digital pets .

Camping friends and survival fans will certainly be happy about the flint or the petrol match on the bunch of keys . With the models with lighter fuel, however, a certain amount of caution is required. In rough everyday use, some of the containers turn out to be only moderately resilient and leakproof.

Thanks to the trailer, the Airpods are always tidy and the charging cradle is protected from scratches.

Silicone cases with a key ring for the charging cradle of the Apple Airpods are much more suitable for the masses. They protect the plastic surface and offer an additional attachment option for a bunch of keys or a backpack.

The remote releases are compact and work with almost all smartphones.

Or how about a Bluetooth remote shutter release for the smartphone camera? The small pendants help with selfies, group pictures and long-term recordings. Breathalyzers for the bunch of keys , on the other hand, are more of a gag. Two gadgets that you will hopefully never need are really useful: the resuscitation sheet with non-return valve or the personal alarm .

The possible uses of an NFC key fob are also exciting. The guide What NFC tags can do shows what these look like .

So-called key organizers help to bring order to the bunch of keys. The key holders usually offer space for six to eleven different keys and keep them compact.

A key organizer brings order to the bunch of keys.

Instead of a huge, jingling bunch of keys, you then have a package in your pocket. If you invest a little more, you get the chic accessories with an integrated USB stick or integrated Bluetooth key finder .

Conclusion

Keychains keep the bunch of keys together and make them unique. Functional technical gadgets are not only suitable for technology fans and nerds. The charging cable for on the go is just as practical as the small USB stick or the flashlight on the key ring.

The camera in the key design and the mini console on the keychain are primarily funny gags and are only partially suitable for everyday use, mainly because of their size.

If you haven’t found anything suitable here, you should take a look at our purchase advice: Curious gadgets make wallets smart .

Related Topics:

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *