NomadKey Review

Charging cables aren’t usually the most interesting of topics and not something I think much about apart from ensuring I have cables for my devices at work, home and when I travel. That basically means a lightning cable and a micro USB cable to cover the many devices that I use day to day.

I was contacted by Nomad and asked if I was interested in trying a NomadKey and passing on my thoughts via this site. A few weeks ago I received a Lightning and micro-USB NomadKey and since then I’ve been using them to charge my iOS devices and my work phone and mifi device.

Lightning NomadKey
Lightning NomadKey

The NomadKey is a reworked version of the Nomad ChargeKey that launched last year. The main feature of the NomadKey is it’s size and flexibility. Slightly larger than a standard house key it’s designed to live on your key ring so no matter where you are, if you have your keys you can charge your device…well, as long as there is a USB socket nearby.

The NomadKey features a slim USB connector at one end and a lightning or micro-USB connector at the other. Both ends are made of a hard plastic and the middle is a flexible rubber which covers the cable connecting both ends. This allows the NomadKey to twist and allow you to charge your device in some pretty awkward places. While fine for phones and small devices it’s not practical for things like an iPad. The chargers are really light, so much so you won’t notice any additional weight on your key ring or if you decide to carry them in a travel or office bag.

In use I’ve found the NomadKey to be fast and reliable. For iOS devices it’s not only a charge cable but sync’s as well and is certified by Apple. I’ve seen no difference in charge or sync times between an official Apple cable and the NomadKey. It also carries enough current to charge an iPad.

Flexible NomadKey
Flexible NomadKey

Although reliable over the last three weeks I do have a couple of niggles. Firstly the USB and lightning connectors are uncovered. As the premise of the NomadKey is for the charger to live alongside your keys I do worry that over time the connectors will pick up dings and scratches. The more durable plastic that hooks onto your key ring does look robust but again, over time will it become chewed up?

Finally is the question of value. The NomadKey costs $29 with free shipping to the UK which feels a little steep. A 1m lightning cable from Apple is £15 and I think the NomadKey would be more appealing to users if they managed to undercut Apple even slightly.

Despite the niggles I loved the NomadKey cables and would recommend them to anyone looking at picking up a new charge cable or who tend to misplace or forget their current chargers. It’s an excellent day to day charger and especially useful for the frequent traveller. Nomad are also bringing out a new product called the NomadClip which is a portable charging cable in the shape of a carabiner and something I’m far more interested in.

If you like the look of the NomadKey or any of their other products then you can pre-order them now and for a limited time you get 25% off if you use the code “LIVESIMPLE”.

DigitalOutbox Episode 213

DigitalOutbox Episode 213
DigitalOutbox Episode 213 – Google I/O

Playback
Listen via iTunes
Listen via M4A
Listen via MP3

Shownotes

1:23 – Android One
3:24 – Android L Developer Preview
15:12 – Android Wear
18:38 – Android Auto
23:03 – Android TV
25:13 – Chromecast
26:49 – Chromebooks
29:01 – Docs
29:53 – Google Play
31:33 – Google Fit Platform
33:20 – Freebies
38:12 – Google Opens Gmail, Making It More of a Platform for Developers
39:12 – Googles Nest Buys Dropcam for $555 Million
41:30 – Nest launches its answer to Apples HomeKit with a developer program
45:17 – Apple iPhone ‘kill switch’ cuts thefts and Microsoft and Google are to follow
46:27 – Google Glass on sale in the UK now for £1,000
47:58 – Withings sticks a digital fitness tracker in an analog watch
49:18 – Microsoft kicks off Google ‘productivity war’ by doubling free OneDrive storage
51:05 – Official singles chart to include streaming services

DigitalOutbox Episode 212

DigitalOutbox Episode 212
DigitalOutbox Episode 212 – Amazons first Phone and Adobe gets Creative

Playback
Listen via iTunes
Listen via M4A
Listen via MP3

Shownotes

2:03 – The UK government can legally spy on your offshore data
7:18 – Google will be forced to make a company disappear
10:21 – YouTube to block indie labels who don’t sign up to new music service
14:54 – Facebooks Slingshot Challenges Snapchat With Reply To Unlock
16:34 – Adobe Upgrades Creative Cloud, Adds New Mobile Apps And Creative Hardware
21:26 – The Amazon smartphone is here: meet the Fire Phone
29:08 – Microsoft finally launches IE Developer Channel
29:55 – Unlikely hit app Yo is ‘hacked’ by students

DigitalOutbox Episode 211

DigitalOutbox Episode 211
DigitalOutbox Episode 211 – E3

Playback
Listen via iTunes
Listen via M4A
Listen via MP3

Shownotes

1:15 – Apology for crashed Get Safe Online anti-hack site
4:11 – How the Get Safe Online password checker fails users badly
5:20 – All Our Patent Are Belong To You
8:19 – Vodafone reveals existence of secret wires that allow state surveillance
12:18 – Nominet’s new rules on .uk domains could mean the end to users’ privacy
14:16 – Google buys satellite firm Skybox Imaging for $500m
16:18 – London’s anti-Uber taxi protest brings traffic to standstill
20:46 – Twitter will soon dominate TV on Xbox One
21:37 – Microsoft Briefing
32:25 – Sony Briefing
38:46 – Nintendo Briefing
41:17 – EA Briefing
44:09 -Ubisoft Briefing
46:11 – Alien Isolation

DigitalOutbox Episode 210

DigitalOutbox Episode 210
DigitalOutbox Episode 210 – WWDC, Apple buys Beats and Googles self driving cars

Playback
Listen via iTunes
Listen via M4A
Listen via MP3

Shownotes

1:32 – Microsoft Demos Real-Time Speech-To-Speech Translation On Skype
4:48 – Google is to start building its own self-driving cars
9:28 – Google launches ‘right to be forgotten’ webform for removal requests
12:56 – Samsung’s Health Event Was All Hype, No Substance
13:54 – Samsung launches first Tizen phone
16:36 – ‘Two weeks’ to block cyber-attack as criminal network seized
19:06 – Twitter experiments with ‘News Feed’ style algorithms, threatens to ruin everything
23:43 – Apple Will Buy Beats for $3 Billion
28:36 – Apple WWDC Keynote