10797 Greg Bright is a small business entrepreneur specializing in the sort of interesting and innovative laptop and electronic gadget accessories that only a small, flexible, and imaginative manufacturer unencumbered by the bureaucracies of larger enterprises can conceptualize. Greg shares a passion with this reviewer for fine woodworking, although neither of us has as much time to indulge in it as we'd like, but IMHO working with wood tends to attract a types with adventurous and perhaps a bit quirky cognitive processes.

Take for example Greg's first major product offering, the http://lowendmac.com/misc/06/0508.html Keynamics eWheelie laptop stand, whose marquee feature was a pair of skateboard wheels for shunting the laptop and stand aside when not in use. The eWheelie is different from anything else on the market to say the least.

Why skateboard wheels? Well, because of the anchor weight, the eWheelie itself weighs 10 pounds, making its built-in carry handle more than a thoughtful convenience. Add the weight of a four to eight pound laptop on top, and you have one hefty package. No other product on the market allows a laptop to just be wheeled out the way, when not in use. With other products, the laptop must be picked up, but despite its "desk-hugging" weight, the stand and laptop unit can be easily wheeled out of the way, when it is necessary to work by hand at a desk.

For a graphic demonstration of the eWheelie stand in use, see http://www.laptop-ergonomics.com

The eWheelie is not the sort of laptop stand that you would ever consider stuffing in your laptop case or backpack to take on the road, but another Keynamics also offers http://www.macopinion.com/index.php/site/more/the_road_warrior_review_aviator_laptop_stand_for_frequent_flyers/a $20 lightweight, stores-flat laptop stand called the Aviator that is ideal for taking along on the road or especially in the air.

Keynamics designed the stand to accommodate the reclined seat in front, providing room to work comfortably and it avoids being crushed by the sudden recline of the seat ahead. Ultra-Compact and weighing only 9 ounces, the stand breaks down quickly to store flat in the side pocket of a laptop case. It is universal and fits all laptops. Available at online resellers and direct from:
http://www.keynamics.com

Now Greg Bright has turned his attention to the iGadget segment, with another deceptively simple but ingeniously innovative little accessory called the Element iPhone Stand For iPhone, iPod Touch and which will also accommodate the new Apple iPad when it arrives.

The Element iPhone Stand, which is made in the USA from recycled 1/8" aluminum plate, is available in several very attractive anodized color choices (our test unit was a blue one) - very strong, but light in weight.

The Element Stand's front face has a shelf that holds the iPhone or other device, with a thin layer of clear rubbery coating material where the machine contacts the rest surface to prevent scratching. I would suggest that it would probably be a good idea to coat the entire contact surface with this protective layer just to be sure. Apertures on the shelf also match up to not obstruct an iPhone's speakers when it's in situ in portrait orientation.

The support shelf is also wide enough to accommodate an iPhone or iPod touch without removing it from most protective cases, including ones as robust as, say, the OtterBox Defender.

The stand bottom is padded with two more strips of the rubbery coating material for scratch prevention and traction to keep it from sliding around on your support surface. The back of the stand has slots stamped in it for routing and supporting charge/sync cables.

The stand can be used in either portrait or landscape orientation, which is especially useful for watching videos or in speakerphone mode with the iPhone. The front retainer tabs are shallow enough that they don’t block with the display screen.

You can also type on it, although it's not a mode I personally relish, being a non-fan of touchscreen keyboards at the best of times.

I can only fantasize about being able to connect a real keyboard and mouse and use an iPhone or iPod touch (or iPad) with this stand as a mini desktop substitute computer.

The Element iPhone Stand fits most mobilel devices, including the new Google Nexus One Phone, iPod Touch, Blackberries, Nokias, Sony PSP and Motorola Droid. It also can be ordered with a variety of custom logos if your firm is interested in it as a promotional device. Minimum quantities apply and the price is $39.95.

There's even a special St. Valentine's day model!

The Element iPhone Stand sells for $29.99. Shipping is free.


For more information, visit:
http://www.keynamics.com/iphone-stand.htm




Charles W. Moore

Tags: Hardware ï Hot Topics ï News ï Reviews ï Hardware Reviews ï iPhone ï iPhone Reviews ï iPod ï iPod Reviews ï

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