The 7 Best Tech Gadgets You Didn’t Know You Needed

The Tidbyt is part smart display, part fun gadget you can tinker with and customize. You can get as nerdy as you want with it, or just let the premade apps do their thing. They can put all sorts of information on constant display. You set up the display using the companion app on your phone, where you can then enable apps and services such as sports scores, weather updates, your calendar, memes, stocks or crypto. Unlike an Echo Show or Nest Hub, there aren’t any speakers or smart assistants built into the display — it’s just a simple retro-looking screen that’s full of tech.

This USB-C cable is not only capable of fast charging any of your compatible devices, but it has a built-in display that shows you the exact speed at which your device is charging. Admittedly, it’s a nerdy gadget but it’s one that I’ve found useful over the last couple of years to troubleshoot if a wall adapter is starting to go out. Even if you don’t really care about charging speeds, these cables aren’t terribly expensive and are high-quality. They also don’t fray thanks to the rubber coating on the outside of the cable.

Apple first introduced MagSafe with the iPhone 12, which amounts to a ring of magnets on the rear of the phone that allows various chargers and accessories such as wallets and mounts to connect to the phone. Since then, we’ve seen some cases of Android phones adding MagSafe-compatible rings so anyone can take advantage of all the MagSafe accessories — of which there are many — with an Android phone. But what do you do if you already have a case you like, or there isn’t a MagSafe case for your phone? You use the Spigen MagFit kit to add the magnetic rings yourself. The template makes it easy to line up the ring on any Android phone and takes just a few seconds to apply the magnetic ring to your phone. It’s incredibly simple, yet very effective.

If you’re looking to add some color to your home’s lighting, then look no further than the Nanoleaf Bulbs. Sure, there are many colorful light bulbs available, but these offer compatibility with iPhone or Android devices. The Nanoleaf bulbs are also capable of connecting to Matter, the new smart home platform that allows you to control smart home devices from any platform instead of locking you into one platform. You can control the bulbs using a personal assistant like Alexa, Siri or Google Assistant, picking from over 16 million supported colors. And, of course, you can automate the bulbs to turn on and off at certain times or set scenes to set the mood for watching movies or even gaming.

Apple’s HomePod Mini isn’t the best sounding smart speaker available, but it’s packed full of features that make it a compelling smart home accessory for anyone who’s invested in the Apple ecosystem. The HomePod Mini acts as a hub for any of your HomeKit-compatible smart home accessories, meaning you can connect to and control any of your devices away from home. It also has a built-in humidity and temperature sensor you can use to control things like your smart thermostat. Siri isn’t the smartest assistant, but it does a good enough job of controlling your light switches and plugs.

The Sonos Move is an always-connected portable speaker that pumps out high-quality sound, either streaming it directly over a Wi-Fi connection or via Bluetooth. It’s pricey, yes, but it packs a punch in terms of sound quality, portability and battery life. You’ll get 11 hours of constant battery life and water resistance so you can use it by the pool without worrying about every splash. You can use the Sonos app to connect to and control the speaker when you’re home and on Wi-Fi, but if you want to take it to the park or camping, you can connect to it via Bluetooth and stream music directly from your phone.

One of Nomad’s first products was the original Charge Key, which put an iPhone charger on your keyring, so you were ready to charge your phone at a moment’s notice. And now we have a modernized version of the Charge Key that combines years of experience developing high-end accessories and the latest tech. There are two versions available, both with USB-C on one end of the charger, with Apple’s Lightning connector on one model and another USB-C connector on the other. The cables are made of high-quality material and shouldn’t fray, while magnets hold the charger together to take up a minimal amount of space on your keyring.