Hand-E-Holder Turns iPad into Giant Mitten
Posted in: Accessories and Peripherals, ipad, Today's Chili
Amongst the initial complaints about the iPad were that it is too heavy (it isn’t), that it is too big (nuh-uh) and that it easily slips out of your hand (it does). The Hand-e-holder takes care of the only genuine problem on that list, and it does it in the dorkiest way possible.
The Hand-e-holder comes in two parts. First is a clear plastic donut-shaped sticker which affixes to the back of the iPad (or any other tablet). The second part is an adjustable hand-strap with a matching circle that sits over your palm. Both sides are covered in 3M’s Dual-Lock fastening material, kind of like an ultra-strong Velcro that actually clicks into place (the hooks are mushroom-shaped).
Once locked onto the iPad’s back, the handle spins freely to let you choose landscape and portrait orientations, and to use the tough multitouch glass front to play ping-pong (note: due to the smooth glass surface, putting spin on the balls is all but impossible).
Why would you use this dork-tastic accessory? I guess that if you’re using the iPad in a work situation, like taking inventory or standing outside an exclusive nightclub excluding people for petty and arbitrary reasons, then this may be for you. There are also some wall-mounting plates and stands to which the same sticky-donut will fix, allowing the same 360º spins.
For the rest of us, a frictionful case will do the trick. May I recommend Apple’s own, which also protects the screen with a semi-rigid flap and doubles as a stand whilst adding almost no bulk to the slim device.
The Hand-e-holder is available now, for a not-quite-too-expensive $40.
Hand-e-holder [Hand-e-holder via Macworld]
When you pull it from it’s rather sleek box (which has Apple-like packaging production values), the Aviiq is nothing more than an aluminum strip just over a foot long and less than three-inches wide. This strip then unfolds into four sections. The unit is in fact a polypropylene sheet sandwiched between aluminum panels which bend along the exposed plastic strips. The top part of these four sections is also “hinged” and the edge flips underneath and secures itself by poking little rubber-covered pads through slots in the main section. It is ingenious, and much like making a cardboard-box from a flat-packed kit. It is also incredibly light (5.5-ounces) and very rigid.
When closed, the clock keeps ticking and looks a lot nicer than many smartphones. Amazingly, this is not a concept design but an actual, shipping product. It comes in black, orange, ivory and white, and a book will cost you $17. You could also grab the $12 spiral-bound version, or buy a clock-n-paper refill for your Filofax or Franklin Diary folder. Available now.
