Advertisement
Advertisement

Laudable Key Ring designed in Hong Kong

Call it a camera on a key chain, a jukebox around your neck or a hard drive in your pocket. The new Key Ring product line from Dutch consumer electronics giant Philips has ingeniously combined music, photography and data functions in a compact and wearable device.

Designed in Hong Kong, which is the global headquarters for Philips' audio business unit, the Key Ring is no bigger than a pack of chewing gum. But under its sturdy, ultra-light magnesium body are features that allow users to create, share and enjoy digital content on the move.

Philips unveiled six Key Ring devices at the Internationale Funkausstellung (IFA) fair, Europe's biggest consumer electronics trade show, in Berlin last month. Four of these devices serve as MP3 players, while the other two are digital still cameras. All six Key Rings double as plug-and-play Universal Serial Bus (USB) memory drives, enabling the easy transfer of music and photos to and from a PC. The Key Ring devices can all be connected straight into any USB port. This instant compatibility allows both audio and camera Key Rings to carry out quick backup or storage of PC files. Depending on the model used, a Key Ring can have either 64 or 128 megabytes of flash memory. A 128MB Key Ring offers 88 floppy disks worth of storage space.

Connection to a computer's USB port recharges the Key Ring's battery. At Philips' IFA exhibit, a fully charged audio Key Ring was able to play up to 6* hours of MP3 music.

The four digital audio players - Key 003, 004, 005 and 006 - offer jitter-free music listening. The Key 004 and 006 both come with a soft-fabric neck strap with integrated remote control and earphones. With a touch of the neck strap, the MP3 audio files can be played, skipped, stopped or paused. Volume is also controlled this way.

Both the Key 007 and 008 devices can be attached to a bunch of keys like an ordinary key ring holder. These devices are built with Video Graphics Array-standard sensors to enhance their 1.3 megapixel image quality. The Key 700, for example, could snap and store up to 800 photos.

Philips Key Ring

Specifications

Price: From 29 euros (HK$245)

Pros: The smallest MP3 player and digital camera devices in the market

Cons: A fourth-quarter release in Hong Kong

Post