Here’s another iPhone case project from Kickstarter.  The Quad Lock system from Annex Products consists of a polycarbonate case for your iPhone 4 or 4S and a series of gear-like mounts that allow you to attach your device to the wall, in your car, on your bike handlebars…  For a pledge of $25, you’ll receive a Quad Lock case and two Quad Lock ST flat mounts that attach with double-sided tape.  Higher pledges entitle you to bike mount kits or combination sets with extra mounts.  The Quad Lock is funded, but you still have until the middle of January to pledge so you can be one of the first to own a Quad Lock case for your iPhone.

Filed in categories: iPhone, iPad, iPod related, News

Tagged: iPhone Case, Mount

Mount Your iPhone Anywhere with the Quad Lock System originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 21, 2011 at 8:24 am.

If you’ve been shopping for both a case and a stand for your iPad, you might want to want to take a look at the modulR iPad Case and Accessory system before you decide to buy to separate products. The modulR system consists of an iPad case with a protective cover, that is compatible with a desk stand and a wall mount, with other mounting accessories for your car and home due out soon. Let’s take a look.

Each of the modulrR products in this review are sold separately, but you can also buy a starter package that includes all three of the currently available products. First of all, there’s the Case + Cover. This a prerequisite for the entire system. Without it, you can’t really use the other accessories. The cover is made of a soft touch semi-flexible plastic that has very good gripability. The back portion of the cover is more rigid for added protection. It has a large cutout that allows the Apple logo to be viewed.

The snap on cover is also rigid to protect the screen from scratches smudges and bumps when you’re on the go.

inserting and removing the iPad from the case is not a difficult operation. It’s easily accomplished very quickly.

The cover is equally easy to snap on and remove. When the cover is installed, it does enclose the iPad in a nice thick layer of protection. The only complaint I have about the cover is that it can’t snap on the back of the case when it’s not being used.

There are cutouts for the earphone jack and microphone. Even though the power button is covered by the case, there’s a built in button over it that can be pressed. This works fine and I didn’t notice any problems using it.

The sync/charge port and speaker is easily accessible.

The volume buttons are covered by the case like the power button, but again, the work just fine. The orientation button on the other hand is really hard to activate due to the small cutout and thickness of the case material. I don’t ever use this button, so it doesn’t really bother me.

If you flip the case over, you’ll notice a round node in each corner. They look like little stand up feet. But these nodes are what allow the modulR system to work so well with the Quick Stand and Slim Mount.

The Quick Stand is a steel stand with rubber feet that will allow you to stand your iPad in landscape orientation for viewing and typing. Notice the hooks in the stand? They mate with the nodes on the case. The Quick Stand is available in Orange, Black, White and Silver.

Here we see the case connected to the Quick Stand. The nodes easily slide into the hooks in the stand.

This orientation of the Quick Stand provides a solid base for viewing slide shows, movies, etc on your iPad.

Flip the stand and iPad over and you now have the iPad at the perfect angle for typing with the onscreen keyboard or even using like a laptop with a paired Bluetooth keyboard. The rubber feet on the stand keep the iPad from sliding around on the table in either orientation.

You’ve probably noticed something by now… The Quick Stand can only work in landscape orientation. If you want a stand that can also do portrait, then you’re out of luck with the Quick Stand.

The Slim Mount offers both portrait and landscape orientations. It’s a steel wall mounted bracket that is available in the same colors as the Quick Stand (Orange, Black, White and Silver).

The necessary hardware for attaching this mount to your wall is included along with instructions.

Here you see how the case and mount work together.

The Slim Mount is very sturdy and I have no doubt that it can easily and securely hold the iPad on your wall without any problems. I have to admit that I didn’t attach the Slim Mount to any of the walls in my home (yet). I’m not really sure where I’d put it. But if I ever want to do so, I now have the perfect tool for the job.

Except for the fact that the Quick Stand can only work in landscape orientation, I’ve found the modulR iPad Case and Accessory System to be top notch. Each component in the system is well made. The case and cover will protect the iPad from everyday abuse, while allowing it to easily connect to the attractive and sturdy desk or wall mounts. modulR is planning to offer a car head rest mount, shoulder strap and a swing arm mount soon, so this system will be expanding.

Filed in categories: iPhone, iPad, iPod related, Reviews

Tagged: Case, iPad, Mount, Stand

modulR iPad Case and Accessory System Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 7, 2010 at 4:19 pm.

Where would we be without Griffin Technology and its endless quest to provide us with affordable accessories for enjoying our Apple products?  The latest release is an under-the-cabinet mount for the iPad.  It can be installed under or to the side of any cabinet, provided it has a depth of at least 14 inches.  Once the iPad is snapped into the mount’s bracket, the arm can be rotated 360 degrees and tilted 90 degrees, which also allows for the arm to fold back and out of sight when not in use.  The Cabinet Mount is available for $69.99 from Griffin.

Filed in categories: iPhone, iPad, iPod related, News

Tagged: Griffin, iPad stand, Mount, Spotlight Gadgets

Griffin iPad Cabinet Mount originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 22, 2010 at 6:04 pm.

We’ve reviewed a few different iPad stands, but how about a VESA compatible wall mount? The WALLPORT is a wall mount designed especially for the iPad and can be used by itself or with an adjustable 100mm VESA mount. Unlike other wall mounts that are currently available for the iPad, this one doesn’t need a special case. It can be used with your existing case or with a naked iPad. It has been manufactured out of lightweight and durable aluminum. It mounts flat on any wall or 100mm VESA compliant mount, in portrait or landscape orientation. You can purchase the WALLPORT now for $49.95. Wall and desk VESA brackets are also available from $44.95 – $54.95.

Filed in categories: iPhone, iPad, iPod related, News

Tagged: iPad, Mount, Spotlight Gadgets, Stand

WALLPORT adds VESA mount capability to iPad originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 31, 2010 at 2:35 pm.

Ever need another hand with your phone, ebook, or other device? Maybe something you can clip to a table edge, wheelchair tray, or stroller handle? The iLevel takes a well-designed device holder and combines it with a strong gooseneck and clamp to accomplish this.

iLevel offers a handy device holder and clamp in a few variations- black or white, an 8″ or 16″ neck, and a small or large device holder. I was sent the black 16″ with the regular/small holder to try.

The actual clamp is the sort of large spring clip we often see on clip-on lights or fans and does a good job holding on things up to about 1.5″ thick. The gooseneck is about 1.25″ thick and my 18″ version can hold a little less than 16oz (although the strength will depend on angles, length, etc.)

The regular holder holds devices up to about 4.75″ tall, and holds my HTC EVO at the edge of its range. I’ve recently added a thin plastic snap-together case from eBay that makes my phone 4 7/8″ and it will hold it if I fiddle with it a bit, but it is not nearly as comfortable of a fit as the ‘naked’ EVO. The regular holder looks a lot like the typical holder we have seen so often on dashboard mounts, etc. but it seems a bit more durable and offers a couple interesting features- the little clips that hold the device can slide to better hold your device, and the entire holder rotates all the way around!

The larger holder (called the iView) fits the 6″ Kindle and similar devices. The iView has a hinged support on the back so it can be used off the mount as well. It seems that an iPad version is available or on the way. Besides all of this, the site also offers magnetic mounts and some custom mounts for some iPhones and Blackberrys.

Clamp, 16" 'neck', and regular device holder

I’ve been making a version of this device for years for some of my clients who use wheelchairs to hold their cell phones and iPods. It is nice to see an affordable commercial version available that can help in a wide range of situations- hook it to your treadmill, stroller, side table, or whatever. Mine is parked on a side table to free up space on the little TV tray I use my netbook on, and it is really handy- sort of like a mini-multi-monitor set up.

Mini-Multi-Monitor Magic

The 8″ versions run $29.95, and the 16″ versions run $34.95.  OK, so I have not found a great place to use it in the front seat of my mini-van, but it can go pretty much everywhere else with me. If I had one wish for this mount, it would be that they offered a more portable ‘gear bag’ version of it.

Filed in categories: Android related, Blackberry related, eBook Readers and Gear, Gear, iPhone, iPad, iPod related, Reviews

Tagged: clamp, device holder, Mount, Other PDA related, Palm OS related

iLevel Device Holder Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 23, 2010 at 10:13 am.

When Julie asked everyone if they would like to review the Texthook, I immediately jumped at the chance.  I thought it would be a great opportunity to review a gadget when I’m ‘out and about’, so to speak.

I was quite intrigued by the Texthook to say the least.  It’s a gadget which allows you to attach your smart phone to your child’s pram/pushchair, your shopping trolley, bicycle or even your exercise equipment, so you can easily read the display when you’re on the move.   So, let’s have a closer look!

The Texthook arrived in small, neat box which includes plenty of words and pictures.  The box also shows clear fitting instructions, along with lots of information about the Texthook itself.

The Texthook, ready to be unboxed!

The Texthook body, bar clip and velcro strap

Out of the box however the Texthook already comes pre-assembled for you, so all you need to do is strap it to the item of your choice.

The plastic used to make the Texthook  is very strong, light and durable.

The Texthook, assembled and ready for use

The creators of the Texthook say that it will fit the handlebars of most prams, including Bugaboo, Phil & Ted, Baby Jogger, McLaren and BOB.  It will also fit easily to the handlebars of most bicycles and exercise equipment.

As for the handsets that are compatible with it, they say that it can be used with RIM (Blackberry), Apple, HTC, Samsung, Motorola and T-Mobile handsets.  However, for a full list of compatible handsets for the Texthook, you can visit the website here.

In Use

Fitting the Texthook couldn’t be anymore simpler really.  You clip the base to the handlebar of your pram/bicycle and loop the velcro around the bar and strap it back onto the base of the Texthook, so it secures it into place.  Then, to insert your handset, squeeze the two prongs together on the back and this slides the holder up.  Insert your handset, then slide the holder down again until it feels secure.

Once your handset is in place it’s very difficult to remove it without either sliding the holder back up again, or physically undoing the velcro strap and removing the whole thing.  If someone did try this, you’d certainly know about it!

The Texthook, all attached and ready to go!

I did however like the fact that I could see the display clearly whilst on the move, especially when people were calling.  Once I hooked up a bluetooth headset, the Texthook came into it’s own, as using it whilst walking & talking was very good indeed!

During our trip out, the Texthook became slack just the once and started to wobble quite a lot, so it had to be tightened up.  After doing this, it remained in place till we got home.

A downside of the Texthook (Which my wife kindly pointed out!) is that it doesn’t allow the use of headphones when I placed my iPod Touch into it.  The headphone jack on the iPod is located at the bottom and there isn’t any gap or space to allow for the headphones to be plugged in.  It didn’t work upside down either.  And, unfortunately, you can’t hold the handset in sideways, as I tried this method also.

This was the same for the Blackerry 8900 we used during the review, as the headphone jack is on the right side, which was blocked by the holder.

It would’ve been even better had I been able to use it for this purpose, especially as I could have attached it to my bike as my music collection sits on my iPod.

In Conclusion

The Texthook is a useful tool, great for the ‘on-the-go’ person who needs to be able to keep in touch with the world with ease.  It’s inventive design makes it easy to use and the materials used will ensure it lasts a long time during it’s use.

It is available now priced at $25.99 and more information can be found at the Texthook website.

Filed in categories: iPhone, iPad, iPod related, Reviews, Travel Gear

Tagged: iPhone, Mount

Texthook Smartphone Holder Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 5, 2010 at 12:20 pm.

The Texthook is a special holder for your iPhone or Blackberry that allows you to mount to handlebars, a stroller handle, treadmill, shopping cart, etc. Now you can easily interact with your phone even when you’re shopping or working out. It’s priced at $25.99 and is available in Black or White.

Filed in categories: iPhone, iPad, iPod related, News

Tagged: iPhone, Mount, Spotlight Gadgets

Handlebars, strollers or treadmills, we have a mount for that originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 11, 2010 at 2:19 pm.

The Just Mobile Xtand Go is a dash or windshield mount for your iPhone 3G3 or 3G. It has a folding arm that allows the iPhone to be rotated vertically or horizontally and maintains access to side controls and the dock connector. What I like about it is that it doesn’t have one of those plastic levers to control the suction cup. This one uses a screw collar design. It’s available now at myGearStore for $39.95.

Filed in categories: Car Gear, iPhone, iPad, iPod related, News

Tagged: Car, iPhone, Mount, Spotlight Gadgets

Keep an eye on your iPhone with the Xtand Go originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 8, 2010 at 1:48 pm.

If you are looking for a way to mount your netbook to surfaces in your home or car, Aileron Designs has introduced an extensive line of hard shell, netbook computer cases and mounting systems. The Minimount case for netbooks is an all-aluminum hard shell enclosure with a quick connect mounting feature. The cases are available for several different netbooks including Acer Aspire One, Dell Mini and HP Mini for less than $100. Mounting kits cost extra.

Filed in categories: Laptops and Gear, News

Tagged: Mount, Netbook, Spotlight Gadgets

Mount your netbook with a MiniMount originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 5, 2009 at 12:45 pm.

(Photo courtesy of ProClip website)

We all know that we shouldn’t use our cell phones while driving, yet most of us still do. To try and not be “that driver” who is fumbling to pick up the phone that fell on the floor, using my knees to steer on the highway or holding the phone with one hand while sipping an extra hot half-caf  soy Venti Latte with the other, I’ve been using the ProClip Mounting System for the past few years.

The idea is simple: mounting your cell phone, PDA, etc. in your vehicle, but the implementation is unique. Rather than using a generic holder that clips into your vent or takes up a cup holder, ProClip is a two-part system that combines a dedicated mounting bracket specifically for your vehicle with a dedicated holder for your specific device (phone, PDA, music player, etc). As their site says, you “choose your holder for your device” and “choose the mount for YOUR vehicle”.

Here’s what the holder looks like with the optional tilt swivel attachment added on:

The Holder:

(Photo courtesy of ProClip website)

Here’s what the mount looks like without a holder attached. It matches most gray interiors and really doesn’t look too bad to me:

The Mount:

(Photo courtesy of ProClip website)

Let’s first look at the part that connects to your vehicle–the mount. On the site you’re presented with drop-down menus that narrow your search down by Make, Model and Year. It has a huge selection of vehicles and unless you drive a Ferrari or Lamborghini (not listed unfortunately) you should be able to find at least one option for your vehicle. For both of my cars (a 2007 Mazda 3 and a 2004 Nissan Murano) there are actually two options: the Mazda one can be mounted on the upper mid section of the dashboard or on the right side of the center console. The Nissan options are for either the left or right side of the center console.

For both of my cars I chose the right side of the center console (next to the passenger’s legs) since that was a more convenient place to look, easier to reach, and I wouldn’t be knocking into it each time I sat down. I do find that I caution passengers not to bump into it when they sit down, yet have not actually had anyone knock it off.

The mount itself is quite nice and actually snaps into the seam between the center console and the surrounding frame. It includes double-sided tape (one side already stuck onto the mount) for a more permanent installation. In both of my cars I have not used the tape and have never had the mounts come off without being intentionally removed. Installation is easy, but a bit scary at first. The included instructions (also available on their website for each specific mount) are very nicely detailed, but involved jamming a wedge into the seam to separate it, then popping the tab on the mount in. If I drove a really nice car, I might be a bit reluctant to pop the holder in, but honestly it’s not going to damage the car (not a guarantee!).

So now that the mount is in place there are two more things to choose: the holder and whether you want a fixed or swivel solution. The device holder is chosen similarly to the mount, by Brand and model.

There are actually four options for the Omnia: Standard Holder, Holder with Tilt Swivel, Holder with Tilt Swivel and Cigarette Lighter Charger, and Holder with Tilt Swivel and Straight Cable for Fixed Install. I chose the Holder with Tilt Swivel which allows me to tilt and rotate the device rather than keep it upright (as the Standard Holder does) in order to rotate it so it’s at the right angle for me. The other options add dedicated (aka clean looking) cables for charging the phone. The “straight cable” is just a non-coiled charging cable that can be more easily hidden (again, for a cleaner looking solution).

Here is what my installations look like in the Mazda 3 with a holder for the Samsung Omnia. You’ll notice that since I didn’t purchase the holder with included charging cable I just plug directly into the phone. It works for me, but having it all integrated would be pretty cool.

Rotated horizontally

Rotated vertically

One potential problem with this solution is that it’s not future proof. If you upgrade either your car or your device, you need to purchase a new mount or holder which can run from $25 for the Standard Holder up to $79 for the Holder with Tilt Swivel and Straight Cable. That’s sometimes more than the upfront cost for a new phone! I have upgraded twice since I started using the system and each time I wait a week before inevitably buying the new holder.

One thing to note is that since the holder is designed for each specific device, odds are you’ll have to remove the device from your fancy leather case.  This isn’t such a big deal for easily removed cases, but for the cases that fit quite snugly or snap on, it might be a deal breaker (for either the case or the holder).

Along with the two required pieces, there are some options you can also add. There are quick release plates that let you switch between device holders (you still need to purchase dedicated holders for each device), charging and data connection cables, tilt/swivel plates, a handlebar mount for your bicycle, extension arms, etc. There’s also a horizontal extension plate that allows you to hold two devices on a single mount, which is pretty cool.

(Photo courtesy of ProClip website)

So, the big question is “Is it worth the cost”? For me, the answer is “absolutely”. I don’t know what I’d do without this in my car. Being able to pop my phone in, plug in the charging cable, hook up the aux cable to listen to music, and be able to access my phone semi-safely is a huge benefit. My phone never slides into that gap between the front seat and center console (aka the black hole that no hand exits unscratched) and never falls onto the floor when I have to slam on the breaks because I was distracted by talking on the phone. Also, when I do need to use the phone to make or receive calls, it’s somewhat safer since I’m not fumbling to hold the phone and press keys. If you use your phone regularly in your car to talk, listen to music/audio books, or just want to make sure your phone is in-reach and charged, this is a great solution.

(Please always use a hands-free device when using your phone in your car! I use the Zivio Boom Bluetooth Wireless Headset and LOVE it.)

Filed in categories: Car Gear

Tagged: Mobile Phone, Mount

ProClip In-Vehicle Device Mounting Solution Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 20, 2009 at 7:31 am.

Product Requirements:
Tapwave Zodiac1 or 2 and a
power/sync cable

When Julie and I posted our review of the
Tapwave Zodiac2 last month, I
mentioned that I had ordered the separately available cradle. I am sure that for
some, a cable is the idea solution, but I like using a cradle because I enjoy having easy access to my PDA while
working at my desk. When in a cradle, my PDA is able to sync or charge as
needed, and a cradle looks less cluttered than a loose cable flapping about.
After using the sync/charge cable that came included with the
Tapwave for over a month, I was growing
tired of propping my Zod on the lower edge of my computer keyboard while
working. I was also annoyed with the way that the cable never seemed to maintain
a good connection with the PDA. I was really looking forward to receiving the
Zodiac Cradle,
and it finally arrived yesterday.

Allow me to back-track for just a moment…

When I ordered the cradle, I was pleasantly surprised by its reasonable
price. My past experience with pricing PDA cradles was that
they were generally marketed in the $40-$50 range. Since every other PDA I have
ever owned, with the exception of the Palm m100,
came with a cradle, I have never actually needed to buy a spare. Instead, I have always
acquired sync/charge cables for when I travel. In this case, with the cradle
being absent – yet so reasonable priced, I figured that I would just buy it.
This way I would have a cradle for my desk, and I could use the original
sync/charge cable for when I travel.

Yesterday, after digging through a rather large box filled with Styrofoam
peanuts, I discovered the prize: a black plastic weighted cradle, futuristically
shaped like a teardrop.

After further digging, I came to the conclusion that Tapwave had somehow
neglected to include the sync/charge cable that was pictured in the item’s
description…

Picture courtesy of Tapwave

The cradle’s description had read:
"The Zodiac cradle recharges and instantly updates your Zodiac entertainment
console. Once you slide the Zodiac into the cradle and push the button, the
cradle automatically synchronizes the information in your Zodiac with your PC."

From reading the description above, and seeing the picture – wouldn’t you have
concluded the same thing?

I figured I would email Tapwave support and ask for my cable to be sent
later, but in the meantime I began to hook the cable I already owned to the new
cradle.

Under the cradle is a receptacle for the cable’s plug.

I was pleased that the cable entered the port with a solid click, and that
there was no "play" in the connection whatsoever.

The cord is discretely shuttled out of the cradle’s narrow end, and the whole
contraption sits solidly on flat surfaces. Measuring only 4" long x 3" wide x
1.5′ tall and with a weight of 3.5 ounces, the cradle is solid enough to hold
the Zod securely, yet small enough that it doesn’t take up a lot of valuable
desk realty. The design is in keeping with the simple and clean lines of my
Zodiac2. In fact, the black plastic matches it quite nicely. The front sports a
hot-sync button…

I like that there is no high back and that the Zod can be inserted and
removed without any tricky maneuvers. Overall, this is a very nice
cradle.

After setting up the cradle, yet before I wrote Tapwave, I decided to indulge
in my "daily surf." On this list are a couple of Tapwave specific sites,
including Zodiac Gamer. Imagine my
surprise when the first thing I saw was a new post about how the cradles were
arriving, but that Tapwave was not including the sync/charge cables…Huh?!
Even more alarming were the

five pages (at the time – there are more, now) of people who had also expected a cable to be
shipped with their cradles.

What a bad move for Tapwave! Either the description was intentionally
misleading, or Tapwave just assumed that people would know they were
supposed to order an additional cable in conjunction with the cradle (at
a cost of $14.99). I am going to tell you up front that I have no problem
with the cost of either item. Had I known that I needed both, then I would have
gone ahead and ordered both at the same time to save on shipping. As an
example: If I order either item by itself, shipping runs $6.23 to my zip code.
If I order the two items together, shipping is only $6.76. So now, if I want to
get the cable, then I will have to pay an additional $6.23 for shipping on an
item I should have known to order in the first place. :0/

As of today, the picture showing the cradle with a cable has been removed
from the Tapwave store and the description for the cradle has been modified to
read: "The Zodiac cradle recharges and instantly updates your Zodiac
entertainment console. Once you slide the Zodiac into the cradle and push the
button, the cradle automatically synchronizes the information in your Zodiac
with your PC. The cradle works in conjunction with the cables shipped with your
Zodiac." Evidently enough people have complained about the misleading
information, that it has now been changed.

The cradle is a welcome addition to my desktop and I am very glad to have it. Even though the cable wasn’t included with the cradle, I can’t fault the
product – though I am a bit miffed with Tapwave. I suppose I will have to chalk this up as a growing
pain on their part. Ah, the price of being an early adapter… 

Price: $19.99

Pros:
Simple design with an elegant look
Allows easy viewing an use of Zodiac while at your desk
Stable cable/port connection

Cons:
You must either use the sync/charge cable that came with your Zodiac or order an
additional one

Filed in categories: Desktop Computer Gear, Gear

Tagged: Mount, Palm, Stand

Tapwave Zodiac Cradle Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 11, 2003 at 12:00 am.

Product Requirements:
size=2>Device:
Compaq iPAQ 31/36/3700
Series
Compaq iPAQ 38/3900 Series
Universal Palm
Tungsten W

2/17/03: Updates in Blue

I am way big on mounting solutions for your Pocket PC.  I LOVE the idea
of being able to easily get to my gadget while I am in the car.  In fact, I
have found that I tear into my Targus CH300 case 8 out of 10 times in the car.
This is both good and bad.  Its good because I’m getting good use out of my
iPAQ.  Its bad because I’ve got to fumble around while the car’s moving to
get my hands on it; and honestly, that isn’t always the wisest thing… and
while I’m thinking about it, let’s get the Disclaimer Guy over here to do his
bit now…

The following article describes a permanent Pocket PC mounting solution for
your vehicle.  Neither revolv Design, The Gadgeteer, Christopher Spera
their affiliates, co-workers, designates, delegates, assignees, associates,
affiliates, partners, friends, neighbors, relatives, felines, canines, or
bovines recommend, condone, suggest, attest, or told ya to in any way use or
abuse the revolv Design RoadWriter while your vehicle is in motion.  The
revolv Design RoadWriter should not be used in this fashion.  Your
attention should be placed on the most important activity while your vehicle is
in motion: legally and appropriately navigating your vehicle.  The
aforementioned parties, in perpetuity, are not responsible for ANYTHING bad that
happens to you if you decide to use the RoadWriter and drive at the same time. 
You assume all the associated risks and do so freely of your own accord. 
Period.  In other words, this device will securely hold your gadget while
you drive; but if you want to fiddle with it, pull over to the side of the road
first.  If you screw up and have or cause an accident because your
attention was not on the road, it ain’t nobody’s fault but yours.  You use
the device at your own risk.

<sigh>  Now that that’s out of the way, let’s get down to the
particulars of the review, shall we…

Contents of the Box
When I got the revolv Design RoadWriter, I had no idea what was in the box. 
The bloody thing was huge.  I also didn’t expect to go through all of the
grief I went through trying to install it either.  While it really looks
much more complicated that it actually was, it wasn’t the easiest thing to do
either.  If you decide to purchase the RoadWriter, let me give you a piece
of advice: Set aside a good 1.5 to 2 hours to install everything.  If you
have as much trouble as I had, then you’ll need as much time to make sure that
everything goes the way its supposed to.

The Contents of the Box… Oy!

As you can see, there was a lot of stuff in the box.  In fact, there was
so much stuff in the box, I started scratching my head.  I’m not as handy
as I used to be; and from the looks of all the bits and bobs, I thought this was
going to be a bit of a challenge.  It DID end up being a challenge, but not
for the reasons I originally thought. But, before I get into all of that, let’s
address the numbers in the picture…

1. The "Destructions, " or everything you never thought you’d need to
   know
2. The RoadWriter Cradle and Keyboard
3. Cigarette Power Adapter
4. Goose Neck Mounting and fastening bolt (4a)
5. Keyboard Security Bolt (for securing the keyboard to the Goose Neck
   Mount)
6. Mounting Bracket
7. Mounting Security Bolt (for securing the Goose Neck Mount to the
   Mounting Rod: 9)
8. Mounting Plate
9. Mounting Rod
10. Mounting Hardware
11. Supplied Allen Wrench
12. Optional, Additional revolv Design Serial Mount Solutions

Assembling the RoadWriter
I was fine with everything until I actually grabbed the assembly instructions
and took a serious look at how all of this fit together.  Essentially, you
have to pick a car seat mounting bolt on the floor of your car, and attempt to
remove it; or at least almost remove it.  This is where I spent the bulk of
my time.  I have a Honda CR-V.  I swear, Honda must have their torque
wrenches set on Way High, because I snapped the small bit adapter from my socket
set in half trying to get the bolt on my car floor loose. 

I really thought that I was screwed (pardon the pun).  I needed the 3/8
in. socket to get all of this in, and without the adapter, I wasn’t going to be
able to use it to get this thing in.  Thankfully, I was able to use the 1/2
in. socket (it doesn’t need the adapter) and fudge my way through.  After I got
the bolt on the floor of the car partially unscrewed, I had to monkey the
Mounting Bracket (#6) in place so that I could fasten the floor bolt back down
on top of it.

This is the bolt that broke my small socket, socket adapter…

Next, you should attach the Mounting Rod (#9) to the Mounting Plate (#8),
with the Mounting Hardware (#10); and attach the Goose Neck Mount(#4),  to
the assembled Mounting Plate (#8) with the Fastening Bolt (#4a) and the Mounting
Hardware (#10).  Attach the completed assembly to the Mounting Bracket on
the floor of your car by sliding the Mounting Rod (#9) through the hole in the
Mounting Bracket (#6), and securing it with the Mounting Security Bolt (#7). 
The completed assembly should look similar to what you see below.

The assembled Goose Neck and Mounting Plate attached to the Mounting Bracket in my car

Next, take the Keyboard Security Bolt (#5) and attach it to the bottom of the
keyboard, with the rest of the Mounting Hardware (#10).  Attach the
RoadWriter to the Goose Neck Assembly by sliding it on the flange on top of the
Goose Neck (#4).  Secure it to the flange by tightening the Keyboard
Security Bolt (#5).  You can adjust the angle of the keyboard on the Goose
Neck Assembly by loosening knob on the assembly, adjusting the angle, and then
tightening it back down.

Plug the Cigarette Power Adapter into your lighter socket, and the adapter
into the pig-tail power cord, and the RoadWriter is ready to rock.

The completely assembled and installed RoadWriter in my car

Installing the Driver
As I said, when I got this baby, I owned an iPAQ 3835.  The
RoadWriter uses a Pocket PC compatible GoType keyboard and driver to work its
magic.  As Landware, the makers of GoType products are effectively a Palm
compatible keyboard manufacturer (they also make a Casio E1XX compatible
keyboard), revolv Design and Landware had to roll a Pocket PC 2002 compatible
driver from the ground up.  The current driver can be downloaded
here. 

Installation of the driver is simple:  Download it to your PC and then
copy it to your Pocket PC.  A simple double tap on the file name (roadwriter.cab)
will automatically install the software.  This shouldn’t be new to anyone
frequenting this site.  However, I ran into a number of different problems. 
My 3835 for some reason unknown to me, revolv Design or
Pocket PC Techs, would not recognize
the RoadWriter to save its life. It worked with my 3765.  It worked with
other 3800′s.  It works with my 3955; but it wouldn’t work with my
individual 3835.

I brought this up with Michael Shawver of revolv Design, and he said he
wasn’t surprised.  He and his crew had recently run into a number of
different 3800′s that had bad serial ports from the factory.  The USB port
that worked out of the same connection on the iPAQ worked fine, but the serial
port didn’t.  This, blew my mind.  So off it went to Leonard at
PPCTechs.

He had the unit for about 3 weeks trying to make MY 3835 work with the
RoadWriter.  It worked with HIS 3800′s, HIS 3900′s.  It worked with
every single iPAQ he stuck in the darn thing, except my 3835.  He did
confirm that the serial port was bad, and he was easily able to fix it by
replacing the sync board.  However, even though the serial port now worked
and it effectively communicated with any and every OTHER serial device BUT the
RoadWriter, it was still dead in the RoadWriter’s cradle. 

Leonard finally and quietly cried "uncle" and returned everything to me. 
I had purchased a 3955 by that time and had the driver installed on it, waiting
for the keyboard to be returned to me.  As soon as I plopped it in the
RoadWriter Cradle, my 3955 recognized the keyboard, and smiled at me, saying,
"See.  **I** can work with the RoadWriter even if **IT** can’t."  Nyah!"

Using the RoadWriter
As you might know by now, the RoadWriter is a serial cradle on top of
a serial keyboard.  The keyboard, while manufactured by Landware, is only
one small piece of the entire package. The RoadWriter is a secure place to park
your iPAQ while your car is moving.  The RoadWriter charges your iPAQ while
it sits in the cradle.  The RoadWriter is a serial communications device,
sporting a 3 positioned switch box and 2 free DB9 serial ports.

Make sure the switch is set to the middle position	Two free serial ports!

As you can see from the pictures above, the most important thing when you
want to use the keyboard is to make sure that the switch box switch is set to
the middle position.  Your device won’t recognize the keyboard unless the
switch is set to the middle. 

Like its Palm and Casio cousins, the driver for the RoadWriter has some
pretty cool features,  Aside from enabling and disabling the keyboard
functionality, you’ll also be able to control the Delay Until Repeat rate (how
long a key is pressed until it repeats) and the Key Repeat Rate (how quickly a
character will repeat).  The keyboard’s status is always displayed in the
Status area at the bottom of the dialog box.

Once installed, the driver’s control dialog sits on your Start Menu	The driver’s General Tab	Driver About Info…

Aside from turning the driver on and off and adjusting the repeat rates, the
driver and keyboard support a number of different function keys.  You can
configure up to 18 different functions.  Each successive level of functions
is activated with either a Shift or ALT key + the function key combination.

Normal Function Key Layout	Shift + Function Key Layout	ALT + Function Key Layout

Keyboard Specifics
I’ve been using computers, and specifically laptops since 1990.  I bought
one of Radio Shack’s original 8088 HD1500 laptops (I think that’s the right
model number…), and I’m very picky about keyboard layout and feel.  I
touch type about 85-90 words a minute, so once I get ta goin’, I go.  For
its intended purpose, the RoadWriter does ok. The key’s are smaller than normal
sized keys, measuring 13mm long by 11mm wide (normal keyboard keys measure 13mm
long by 15mm wide).  Believe me, the extra width on the keys make a
difference.  The rows are substantially shorter than most touch typists are
used to, and as a result, my typing resembled someone with "fat fingers." 
In other words, I made a lot of errors, hitting more than one key at a time. 
The keys also don’t have a full 3mm worth of travel to them.  They feel as
though they’ve only got about 1.5 to 2mm of travel, so they feel a little flat
and clacky. 

However, in all honesty and fairness, this is not meant to be the know
all-end all of Pocket PC keyboards.  The RoadWriter, in my opinion, is
meant for typing quick notes while traveling in a vehicle.  Michael Shawver
told me many times that revolv Design had put many of these in Coca-Cola
delivery trucks.  Coke just gave their drivers iPAQ’s so they can track and
update delivery schedules and databases.  The RoadWriter is quite
functional and useful for making quick notes in data bases or in other short
text files or fields.  I wouldn’t type the great American novel on it,
though with the right word processing program (like TextMaker…Watch The
Gadgeteer for an upcoming review!) you probably could.

Universal iPAQ…ok, Scalpel!
As you’ve no doubt seen so far, the RoadWriter works with all Compaq iPAQ’s. 
Please note that I said, "Compaq" and not hp.  I have yet to try the
RoadWriter with the new iPAQ 5400 series.  And as the current version
RoadWriter is designed to work with an iPAQ in any Expansion Sleeve (EXCLUDING
the Style Sleeve that comes with the 38/3900.  The rubber/ soft plastic
sides of the screen cover prevent it from sliding down the cradle and seating on
the serial/ power connector), this version RoadWriter will NOT work with the new
hp 1910.  The hp iPAQ 1910 is simply too thin, and doesn’t have the same
rounded bottom as the Compaq iPAQ or the hp iPAQ 5400 series and won’t sit right
in the RoadWriter’s cradle correctly.  In all honesty, I don’t have access
to a 1910 or 5450; so I’ve yet to try them in the RoadWriter; but I can say
this:  While all current Compaq iPAQ’s will sit in the RoadWriter WITHOUT
an expansion sleeve, the lack of a sleeve puts undo pressure on the serial/
power connector of the keyboard, and is NOT recommended.

However, let’s talk a little more about this whole "universal" thing.  I
am a geek; but honestly, I’m not the kind of geek that likes to pull apart the
family toaster simply to see how the thing works.  When I got the
RoadWriter, I was honestly a little overwhelmed by the amount of assembly
required to get the thing together.  I was also a bit daunted by the amount
of tinkering I had to do to switch the RoadWriter from 38/3900 to 31/36/3700
mode.  It ain’t a pretty sight, nor is it for the faint of heart. 

In all fairness and reality, the only users that will have to do this on
any kind of regular basis would be Gadgeteers like myself, Julie, Judie and/or any
other geek that has more than one kind of iPAQ.  In real world situations,
this really won’t be an issue.  However, my RoadWriter
shipped in 38/3900 mode, so if I wanted to use this with my 3765, or if my main
PDA was a 31/36/3700 series iPAQ, I would have had to do this ANYWAY.  This
was not the easiest thing to do, and I wasn’t completely comfortable doing it
either.  However, after I had done it once, it wasn’t all THAT bad. 
However, please note that the steps noted here are described in further details
in the revolv Design iPAQ
Power UniMount User’s Manual. 

In order to convert the RoadWriter from 31/36/3700 to 38/3900 mode, follow
the following steps:

1. Turn the RoadWriter over and remove the 4 screws from the back of the
   "L" bracket holding the Power UniMount to the keyboard.
2. Disconnect the DB9 Serial cable underneath the Power UniMount.
3. Flip the now disconnected Power UniMount over, and remove the 2 recessed
   screws holding the bottom of the cradle to the Power UniMount. (See the
   picture, below.)
4. Remove the plastic bottom of the Power UniMount from the unit.
5. Carefully lift and FLIP the PCB with the 31/36/3700 connector 180° and
   reinsert it back into the tracks you lifted it out of. Take SPECIAL care to
   keep the wires out of the way of the screw holes. (See picture, below.)
6. Replace the plastic bottom of the Power UniMount.
7. Replace the 2 recessed screws holding the bottom of the cradle to the
   Power UniMount.
8. Replace the 4 screws on the back of the "L" bracket holding the Power
   UniMount to the keyboard.

The bottom of the Power UniMount	Don’t get the wires in the screw holes!  You will seriously damage and break the Power UniMount if the wires get cut!

Update 2/17/03:

Despite what the above pictures say, the 3700 and the
38/3900 do NOT share the same connector.  The pictures come from the Power
UniMount manual and are unfortunately, in error.  The 31/36/3700′s have a 12 pin
connector that provides serial/ USB connectivity.  The 38/3900′s have a 22 pin
connector that provide serial/USB connectivity as well as power. 

Interestingly enough, despite the Engineering redesign
to produce the 38/3900 series iPAQ, the 31/36/3700 series devices DO have power
pin outs on the 12-pin connector.  revolv Design’s RoadWriter WILL power your
31/36/3700 series devices.  I’d like to thank Michael Shawver from revolv Design
for taking the time to explain the technicalities behind this.  I’ve tested
this, and it does work.  So if you’ve got an older iPAQ and want a cradle to
power your device while travelling, this is the accessory to do it.

I have also had the opportunity to test the RoadWriter
with an iPAQ 5455, and guess what..?!  It works!  I find that amazing, since
early reports of keyboard use indicated that keyboards could not be shared
between 38/3900 and 5400 series iPAQ’s.  In fact, it didn’t give me any trouble
at all.  I just copied the driver CAB over to the device, double-tapped it,
completed the install, and stuck it in the cradle.  My iPAQ 5455 immediately
recognized the keyboard and power came from the cigarette adapter.

The only problem you are going to have with the
RoadWriter on a 5400 series iPAQ is the placement of the headphone jack.  It is
completely obscured by the bottom of the cradle, and as such there isn’t any way
to plug my cassette adapter in so that I can listen to music while I drive.  The
5400′s speaker is quite anemic, and if your car generates a lot of road noise,
there isn’t a snowball’s chance that you’ll be able to hear it play anything
from the device speaker.  I am relatively certain that revolv Design is going to
address this for the 5400 series iPAQ; but I don’t have any positive
confirmation.  I’ll update this review again when I hear back from them.

Quirks,
Quibbles, and Kibbetzing…
I LOVE the revolv Design RoadWriter.  I
won’t let my iPAQ rest in anything else while its in the car with me.  It
is by far the most secure way to travel with my 3955.  However, I’ve had
this baby for a while now and I’ve noticed a few things that really kinda make
me twitch.

1. Installation Wasn’t Easy
   I felt like I had to dismantle half of my car to get this thing installed. 
   I’m exaggerating of course, but sheesh!  Because it was so difficult to
   install, the thought of moving it to another bolt on the floor that might be
   more appropriate for it, is completely overwhelming.
    
2. Difficult to Adjust
   The Goose Neck isn’t as dynamic as I’d like it to be and I find that when I
   do want to adjust the RoadWriter, it takes a bit of doing.
    
3. Stop-n-Go
   Traffic is murder on this thing.  I’ve already had to remove the goose
   neck assembly and retighten it to the Mounting Plate twice because the unit
   is naturally top heavy.  It moves back and forth in stop and go
   traffic, and loosens itself.
    
4. Pricing
   While the RoadWriter is awesome, you really have to ask yourself a very
   important question:  Will I use this thing often enough to justify the
   $200 price tag.  While I really do love the RoadWriter and use it daily
   to hold my iPAQ while I drive, I rarely use the keyboard to type on the side
   of the road.  If you are the creative type and have to jot down
   important thoughts or ideas while you are out and about, or if you are the
   kind that drives for your day job a lot and have an iPAQ, then the
   RoadWriter should work for you.

One last thought… don’t confuse the revolv Design RoadWriter with ANYTHING
from Arkon or any other company.  The revolv Design mounting solutions are
far, FAR superior to any other mounting system I’ve seen.  I’ve reviewed
one such solution from Semson’s and Co. here on The Gadgeteer, and 2 others from
Arkon on a competing Pocket PC site.  The RoadWriter provides a much more
secure mounting solution for your iPAQ AND
powers your device.  You may need a cassette adapter to plug into your
headphone outlet in order to listen to WMA’s or MP3′s while you drive; but
that’s a small price to pay for the security AND
power you get from the revolv Design RoadWriter.

Price: $ 199.95

Pros:
Permanent
Secure Mounting Option
Charge from your Cigarette Lighter
2 DB9 Serial Ports
3 Position Switch Box
Compatible with ALL iPAQ’s

Cons:
Permanent
Challenging Installation
No USB Connectivity
"Universal" iPAQ Compatibility Requires you to be "Tim Allen-esque"
Pricy

Filed in categories: Windows Mobile related

Tagged: Mount, Palm, Palm OS related, Pocket PC, Stand

revolv Design’s RoadWriter Review Update originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 17, 2003 at 12:00 am.

Product Requirements: Your Car’s Windshield, or any Smooth
Surface
size=2>Device:
Works best with Square
Shaped PDA’s
Will Hold any PDA

I really tried with this one.  Really I did.  You’ll notice the
date on this review…Its almost a month over due.  While I owe Julie and
Judie a big apology for blowing the deadline on this review, I did it for a good
reason.  I really, really tried to make this one work.  I wanted it to
so badly.

I’m talking about the Semsons & Co. Universal Windshield PDA (and Cell Phone)
Holder.  You’ll notice I’ve put "and Cell Phone" in parentheses.  This
device is supposed to securely hold your cell phone too.  I say "supposed
to…;" but I’m getting ahead of myself.  Let’s get the prelim’s out of the
way so that I can get to the heart of why I was so disappointed with what could
have been a really neat, affordable accessory.

The Semsons & Co. Universal Windshield PDA Holder consists of two main
parts…three if you count your PDA.  The first part is a long goose necked
arm that attaches itself to your windshield with what is supposed to be a strong
suction cup.

The Semsons & Co Gooseneck Arm and Suction Cup Mounted on my CRV’s Windshield

As you can see from this picture, the Arm is mounted to my windshield,
goosenecking its way forward towards my steering wheel.  It ends in a
large, flat,  black plate with a sticky pad covered with white wax paper. 
The sticky pad is an adhesive based square.  You peel off the wax paper
cover and plaster your cell phone against it; or at least I think you do. 
The device itself came with out ANY documentation, and the
Semsons and Co. web site
doesn’t really offer any real information on how you’re supposed to use this
device with your cell phone as of this writing. 

From what I can tell, you’re just supposed to stick your nicely kept, very
expensive, Gadgeteer-styled cell phone on the very sticky, gonna prevent you
from peeling it off and using the phone anywhere else besides your car (at least
not without ruining it), adhesive square.  I don’t know about you, but if
these guys think I’m gonna stick my $300 Motorola V60c phone against that
adhesive square, they’re NUTS!!  Who the heck thought up this mess?!? 
Did this person skip class the day they taught product engineering?  PUH-LEASE!!! 

While this device has the POTENTIAL to be used as a cell phone holder, this
Gadgeteer-in-Training won’t even consider using the Semsons and Co. Universal
Windshield PDA Holder to hold his cell phone.  The adhesive square seems
like a drunken afterthought, and WILL ruin the back of your phone; or at the
very least I think it will.  I can’t find any documentation to counter this
assumption either on the product box, or on the Semsons & Co. web site.

Now…on to what appears to be this product’s core competency:  Holding
your PDA.  I think you’ll be much happier with the results I have to report
here.

As a PDA holder, I have found the Semsons & Co. Universal Windshield PDA
Holder to work, well, ok.  I have 4 PDA’s that could have fit in this
accessory, 5 if you count the Clie’ NR70 that I just sold to a close friend of
mine.  The results of a week’s (or more) time in the hot seat with the
Semsons & Co. Universal Windshield PDA Holder can be found below:  Pictures
of some of these in the Holder can also be found below

Toshiba e310 in the Holder	iPAQ 3835 in the Holder

Here are some more shots of the Semsons & Co. Universal Windshield PDA Holder
in action.

Close up of the Toshiba e310 in the Semsons Holder

The back of the Holder with the e310 inside.  Notice the piece of elastic holding the cloth sides of the front together…

According to the Semsons & Co. web site, the
Universal Windshield PDA holder "Fits any type of PDA (including Expansion Slot)
with the elastic holder."  I don’t see how.  The front arms of the
Holder are pretty stiff.  The elastic in the back will only stretch so
much.  No matter how hard I tried, I could not get my iPAQ 3835 with PC
Card Sleeve in the Semsons & Co. Holder.

After careful consideration, while there is some potential here, I really
can’t recommend the Semsons & Co. Universal Windshield PDA Holder for use with
your PDA unless you have a very light, very thin PDA with either a built in CF
or SD slot; and you have a very large CF or SD card.  I’d want to use it to
hold my device while I played music with it.  Unless you have a large CF or
SD card in your built in slot, you won’t play a lot of music.  The Holder
doesn’t accommodate the iPAQ or Jornada PC Card Sleeve.  I also had trouble
with the Holder sliding off the gooseneck, especially if you hit a pothole or
bump.

Price: $34.99, on Sale (as of this writing) $24.99

Pros:
Portable
Magnetic
Works with (Just About) any PDA
Inexpensive

Cons:
Suction Cup isn’t Very Strong
Magnet isn’t Very Strong
PDA’s tend to Slide Off
PDA Holder only Holds Naked PDA’s

Filed in categories: Uncategorized

Tagged: Generic PDA related, Mount, Palm, Pocket PC, Stand

Semsons & Co. Universal Windshield PDA Holder Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 27, 2002 at 12:00 am.

Product Requirements:
Device:
Any PDA

An imagination is a great thing. And, you’ll definitely get to exercise yours
if you decide to check out the PDA Pivot
from CyberKnight Intl. Corp. What is the PDA Pivot? Well, it is basically a
hinge that you attach to your PDA with Velcro. Doesn’t sound very exciting does
it? Well, that’s where your imagination comes in…

Made of a thick black plastic, the PDA Pivot is comprised of two 2.5" x 3.25"
sections that are attached at a pivot hinge point. Serrated knobs on either side
of this hinge allow you to tighten or loosen the opening / closing tension of
the two sections. From closed to open, the pivot can rotate 270 degrees.

One side of the hinge has a large square of Velcro (the hook half) attached
to it. The other side has a strip of Velcro (the loop half), a strip of closed
cell foam and a plastic document clip. Still unimpressed?  Ok, just wait a
sec…

First you need to attach a square of Velcro (loop half) to the back of your
PDA. Yeah I know, Velcro is evil… But sometimes you gotta do what you gotta
do. Once you’ve done that, you can then affix the PDA Pivot to the back of the
PDA. At this point, it can serve a variety of purposes from a desk stand, car
dashboard stand, or
document holder, to a PDA pocket clip. It’s all up to you as to what you want to do with
it. The documentation actually lists 10 different uses, with even more listed on
the CyberKnight website.

I’ll admit that when I first saw this accessory, I really couldn’t see myself
using it. I didn’t think I needed a desk stand, or a document clip… But then, there came
a moment when the PDA Pivot was the perfect solution to problem that I just happened
to need solved. That problem was how to prop up the iPAQ while using the
Zeta Game Pad.

Since then, I’ve found myself using the PDA Pivot for non-PDA uses. One such
use is a nifty document holder. If you ever need to type something into your
computer, having the copy laying flat on a table isn’t the most convenient. The
PDA Pivot can actually hold your page for you at a angle that is easy to read as
you type.

I’m sure there are many other uses for this accessory just waiting to be
discovered by someone with a little imagination.

Price: $19.95

Pros:
Many uses
 

Cons:
Attaches to PDA with Velcro

Filed in categories: Uncategorized

Tagged: Generic PDA related, Mount, Newton, Palm, Pocket PC, Stand

PDA Pivot Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 22, 2002 at 12:00 am.

Product Requirements: Any Palm-top PDA, and a
cup-holder installed in your vehicle

I know I am not the only person out there that engages in the efficient habit
of multi-tasking during every available minute. Sometimes, during my 45 minute
trip to and then from the ranch where I work, I use my almost hour long commute to catch up
on phone calls while riding in the truck. I have a "hands-free" mobile
phone built into my Toyota that allows me to talk and drive, without ever taking
my hands off the wheel – except for the initial dialing. 

I drive a rather straight stretch of highway that is seldom busy, that I know
like the back of my hand. Sometimes this can be a bad thing, as I will catch
myself doing things that no safe driver would ever even consider. Not only have
I been guilty of reading People magazine while traveling; I have also been
guilty of pulling my PDA out of my bag, and either looking up a phone number, or
jotting a quick note. Like anyone else that engages in destructive behavior, I
tell myself that I have everything under control, and that nothing bad is ever
going to happen to me.  

There are times, when I am engaging in this behavior, that I think that it
would be so much more convenient, if there were a way to make my PDA more
accessible while I was driving. Sure would be handy if there was something out
there that kept my PDA right in front of my face, while I was supposed to be
watching the road. Enter Arkon, and their Universal
Cup Holder Mount for Palm® OS & Pocket PC Handhelds.

The Arkon Cup Holder Mount is made of heavy duty ABS plastic,
and is a very ruggedly designed and easily adjustable piece of equipment. It
basically allows you to temporarily mount your PDA in your vehicle’s cup-holder.
There is a base that adjusts to fit almost every size cup-holder out there. A
four inch extender comes up from the base, and attaches to the adjustable easel,
which sits an inch above the extender. You can move the easel to whatever angle
you need in order to see it perfectly while driving. 

Once installed in your cup-holder, the Arkon seems quite firmly held. It is very easy to adjust the width of the base – you
simply turn the knob to retract or extend the cup-holder arms.

Now obviously if you have a flimsy cup-holder that jiggles when you have a
cup of coffee inserted – you will have the same jiggling problem when your PDA
is mounted there, too. But otherwise, the Arkon mount will hold your PDA as
steadily as the road allows. Depending on the weight of your PDA, and how
loosely you have adjusted the base to fit your cup-holder, your Arkon may tilt a
bit when you hit road bumps. It is a simple thing to try a couple adjustments
and find one that holds sufficiently.

Your PDA is held in the Arkon mount with four adjustable arms,
that are padded with a foam cover. You can manipulate each arm to sit so that
they won’t cover access to charging, headphone, or serial ports, etc.

The spring-loaded, sliding bottom of the easel moves up and
down to
accommodate almost all handheld PDAs.

I was able to fit every PDA I owned into the easel, including
the iPAQ with the Silver Slider sleeve attached. 

Underneath the area where your PDA sits, there is a foam pad
with two removable cut-outs that you can insert AAA batteries into, if that is
what your PDA requires. If you’d like, you can even put a mini post-it™ note
pad in the hole. It will fit perfectly.

There is even a convenient stylus & pen combo mounted on
the right side, so that you can jot those brain-bombs as they occur to you,
directly onto your PDA. Traffic be damned!

Now, I understand that there are those of you that have longer
commutes to and from work. People that live in places like LA, where traffic
grid-lock makes a 45 minute trip into a 3 hour ordeal. I know that you spend
more time parked than you do moving. The truth of the matter is that you don’t
need this product. You can simply hold your PDA in your hand, and do whatever
you need to do; because you are not moving. and won’t be for a while. 

That leads me to a simple conclusion: there is simply no way
around it – this product was made to be used while the vehicle is moving.

I, of all people, realize that there are times when having my PDA easily
accessible while driving might actually be a good thing. If I had a GPS unit
attached, for example: I could take my eyes off the road, and look at my PDAs
face to see where I was supposed to be, versus the road that I am actually on.
Until the day when verbal directions from your PDA becomes a reality, this just
doesn’t even sound safe, or practical – considering the poor daylight viewing of
most PDAs – with the exception of the iPAQ.

I also know that it is convenient to have the PDA in a holder, such as this,
while it is charging – that way when you take a curve really quick, your PDA
doesn’t go flying. But $50 for a PDA holder seems a little steep – when it could
be just as safe inside your bag, or jacket pocket. 

The only time I really felt like it was truly "safe" to use the
Arkon mount while moving, was when I was listening to Mp3s from my PDA. I was
able to charge my PDA and also have a cassette adapter attached so I could
listen to Mp3s over my truck’s stereo system. Because I tested the mount as an
"Mp3 player holder" while using my HP Jornada 548, I was not able to
see the screen in the sunlight, so I was not tempted to try adjusting anything.
I just let the songs play, and enjoyed not having my Jornada on the seat, like I
would have placed it otherwise.

I don’t know that I would attach a keyboard through the bottom opening while
my PDA was mounted in this holder, as they suggest you can – that just seems
like a bit too
much…

Okay – at this time, I am going to warn you that I am fixing to climb up on a
soap-box. You’ve read the meat of my review, and you know about the product, and
what it can do. If you want to stop reading now, you are more than welcome to.
For those of you that are open to a little ranting, read on….

What I find absolutely remarkable about this product, is that in this day of
litigious reality, a company would put out a product such as this, without a
single warning not to use it when your vehicle was moving.
Not even in small print is the possibility mentioned that driving while using
this product might be hazardous not only to your health, but to the health of
the guy that you might hit while you are looking up something on your PDA. As a
matter of fact, there is no small print.

While some might find this refreshing, because after all – we are all growing
immune to superfluous printed warnings; doesn’t it seem odd to you that it
didn’t even occur to them to cover their butt a tiny bit, and print a simple
warning?

What I am trying to figure out, is if they have more faith in the public than
your average company; or if they just overlooked the fact that if you were
unlucky enough to hit someone while using their product, the likelihood of Arkon
being involved in the resulting lawsuit would run really high. In this day of $2
million dollar judgments for spilled coffee, I just can’t imagine that they
could escape unscathed, after creating a product with the design such that you
would assume it was made to be used while driving.

In Business Law, I learned that: "Generally, a manufacturer must warn
those who purchase its product of the harms that can result from the misuse of
the product as well. If a particular misuse of a product is foreseeable, a court
normally will hold that the manufacturer had a duty to warn of the dangers
associated with such misuse."**

So my question would have to be, "What is Arkon thinking??"

Look: I know I am not your mother, and I don’t think you deserve to be talked
down to in any way. But I simply have to question what might be going on in
anyone’s head that would honestly think that it was okay to install this in
their car, and then use it while driving around. Because let’s face it – if
you’re parked, you don’t need it.

Price: $49.99

Pros:
Will hold  just about any PDA in your vehicle’s cup-holder
Hidden Cavity can hold batteries or  Post-it™ Notes
Can attach GPS, charger, modem cables, etc., etc. to bottom of PDA while in
Arkon mount
Convenient when listening to Mp3s

Cons:

Expensive

Dangerous to use PDA while driving
Most color PDAs will not be easily visible in daylight situations

**p 434 Business Law Today, Fourth Edition, by Roger LeRoy Miller
and Gaylord A. Jentz

Filed in categories: Car Gear, Miscellaneous

Tagged: Mount, Palm, Pocket PC, Stand

Arkon Cup-Holder Universal PDA Mount Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 7, 2001 at 12:00 am.

Product Requirements:
Device:
Palm III series, Palm VII series, and Palm V series

I’m sure you’ve heard the term "wearable computers"…? Often
people wear their PDAs on their waist in a belt case. For me, that is the most
comfortable and convenient method. But, some people want to wear their PDAs
around their neck. This review will show a couple ways to make this possible.

The Bond for the Palm V / Vx

Besides having the Bond Latch for the Palm III
series and original Palm Pilot, the people at Force
Technology Corporation have a version of the Bond for the Palm V/Vx series
PDAs. 

The Bond Connection attaches to the PDA using the stylus slot in the sides of
the Palm V/Vx unit. Small solid sterling silver cups which they call klein cups slide into the
stylus slots. These cups have rings on them for a neck cord. 

Installing the Bond is a 5 second operation and is very easy to do. The cups
are tapered and easily slide down the stylus silo. Once they are in place, they
won’t slip out by accident. They are also formed out of a solid piece of metal
which I don’t foresee breaking very easily at all. 

The nylon cord is black in color and feels sturdy enough to hold the PDA
around you neck without ever breaking. A plastic slider allows you to adjust the
length of the cord for your neck. 

Wearing the Palm around your neck might sound uncomfortable but it really
isn’t. I didn’t find the weight of the PDA to pull that much at all on my neck.
One thing that I did notice was that the PDA would swing back and forth or bang
into my stomach as I walked with it around my neck. If you use this product and
wear a shirt with buttons and or zippers, make sure that you turn the PDA screen
out while wearing it so that you don’t accidently scratch the screen.

You might be thinking that if you use the Bond, you’ll no longer be able to
use your stylus. Force Technology Corp. solved this problem by supplying you
with a replacement stylus barrel. This silver plated shaft is shorter that the stock
stylus and works great with the Palm V and Bond combo. Just unscrew the original
stylus top and tip and put them on the shorter barrel and you’re good to go.

You also don’t need to remove the Bond in order to hotsync. Just pull the
cord out the way and plop it in the cradle as usual.

I think that the Bond Connection is a good product for someone that needs
their Palm V/Vx in very close proximity and ready for use at all times. I would
not recommend it for someone that is constantly walking around though because
the PDA might get banged around more than necessary.

Price: $29.95

Pros:
Simple to use
Allows your Palm V/Vx to be instantly accessible
Replacement stylus included
No need to remove in order to hotsync

Cons:
Swings back and forth while walking
Screen remains unprotected while in use

The Bullet for the Palm V / Vx

The Bullet from Brando
Workshop is basically a cheaper version of the Bond Connection. It looks the
same but isn’t quite as good as the Bond.

For one thing, the cord is several twisted strings instead of one woven cord.
Given time, the cord would probably come untwisted. 

The string lock on my review unit would not lock the strings in place. Due to
the fact that there are plastic stops at the end of the strings, the PDA won’t
fall off your neck, but it is annoy not to have the PDA stay in place.

The metal cups on the Bullet are also quite a bit smaller than the ones that
the Bond uses. As a result, I found that I could almost pull the cups out of the
stylus slots even when they were pushed almost all the way down the silos.

Left to right: Bullet cup, Bond cup

When the Bullet is installed, the original stylus does not fit in the silo
and you don’t get a replacement barrel like you do with the Bond.

Although the Bullet is about $10 cheaper than the Bond, I recommend the Bond
over it because it is made better and is more secure.

Price: $150 HK (~$19.25 US)

Pros:
Simple to use
Allows your Palm V/Vx to be instantly accessible
No need to remove in order to hotsync

Cons:
Swings back and forth while walking
Screen remains unprotected while in use
String lock isn’t secure
Replacement stylus is not included

MyCoolClip for the Palm III and VII Series

MyCoolClip from MyCoolClip.com is a
wearable solution for Palm III and VII series PDAs.

The clip hooks in to the notches in the bottom of the case. The same notches
that other accessories like the Palm modem use. 

Basically, the clip is a thick piece of bent wire that has had the ends
soldered to make them smooth. The clip has a flexible plastic tube covering it
that can be used to hold a spare stylus which is included. Putting the CoolClip
on your PDA is not easy. The wire is very strong and doesn’t want to bend. You
have to almost use brute force to get it in the slots. Once you do, it is very
secure. But getting it off is another matter. I was slightly afraid that I was
going to scratch up the case getting the clip on and off.

A blue nylon cord with a metal swivel attaches to the clip. You can wear the
PDA around your neck, or you can hook it to your belt with the included belt
loop clip. 

This small blue plastic clippie thing, slides on your belt loop and then the
nylon cord slides on it. You can use this for  drop prevention when you
keep your PDA in your jeans pocket. I would not use the clippie thing to hang
the PDA from your belt though.

Like the Bond and Bullet, you can sync your PDA in the cradle without having
to remove the MyCoolClip. 

This is a very inexpensive solution and works as advertised. It does look a
little ‘home brew’ to me though. If you don’t mind this, give it a try. 

Price: $11.95 plus $2.00 shipping/handling

Pros:
Allows your Palm V/Vx to be instantly accessible
No need to remove in order to hotsync
Inexpensive

Cons:
Hard to put on and take off
Swings back and forth while walking
Looks a little ‘home brew’

Filed in categories: Uncategorized

Tagged: Mount, Palm, Palm OS related, Stand

Wear Your Palm III originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 14, 2000 at 12:00 am.

The PDA Prop is a desk stand accessory
for PDAs that are no more than 3.25" wide. I tested the PDA Prop with a
Palm V, Palm III, Visor and Casio E-100 for this review.

The PDA Prop is made of plastic and comes in a several different finishes:
Aluminum, Dark Burl, Light Burl, and Black. Even though the stand is light
weight, rubber feet on the bottom keep it from sliding around on your desk.

The inside of the stand is molded to hold the PDA. There are also slots in
the stand that you can place props that will adjust the viewing angle of the PDA
while it is in the stand. These props are two different sized plastic slats with
non slip tape on the edges. By placing these slats in the various slots, you can
adjust the viewing angle up to six different heights. The PDA Prop also has a
stylus / pen holder at the top.

The PDA Prop is useful for people that work at their desks all day and don’t
mind tapping on the screen while the PDA is not actually in their hand. I
personally feel uncomfortable doing this. I like to have the PDA in my hand
while I’m using it. I feels easier to me that way. So, while I was reviewing the
PDA Prop, I was constantly picking it up and not using it in the stand which
really defeated the purpose of the product. Although the PDA Prop looks nice and
does what it advertises, for the price it really doesn’t add any functionality
over the regular hotsync cradle which could also be used as a desktop stand.

Price: $33.95

Pros:
Nice looking desk stand.
Multiple viewing angles.

Cons:
Expensive.
Doesn’t do anything that the regular hotsync cradle already doesn’t do.

Filed in categories: Uncategorized

Tagged: Generic PDA related, Mount, Palm, Pocket PC, Stand

PDA Prop Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 4, 2000 at 12:00 am.

The CM220 Universal Mount for Palm-sized Computers by Arkon
Resources Inc. is a PDA holder that can be affixed to a vehicle or other location.
This holder unlike the Unimount by Revolve Design is
compatible with any PDA that is between 4.5" and 5.3" tall. Some of the PDAs
that will work with this mount are: Philips Nino, Everex Freestyle, HP Jornada, Compaq
Aero, Casio E10, 15, 100, 105, Royal daVinci, PalmPilot, Palm IIIx, Palm V and Palm VII.

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I tested the CM220 with a Palm V, Palm III and a Casio E-100. It will attach to your
windshield via 3 large suction cups. The first day that I tested this mount, I just stuck
it on the glass and proceeded to drive to work. About 15mins later, I hit a bump and the
CM220 fell to the floor. Luckily, I didn’t have a PDA in it at the time. But, this wasn’t
Arkon’s fault, It was mine. I failed to read the directions. The first thing you are
supposed to do is clean the windshield area with an alcohol pad (which is included). The
next day, I did this and suffice to say, the mount has been securely attached ever since.

Once you attach the mount to the windshield, you can adjust the viewing angle by
fiddling with 2 thumb screws. This is easy to do and only takes a few seconds.

Also included with the CM220 is an optional adhesive mount that you can use to mount to
other hard surfaces like the side of a computer monitor or a car console.

The bottom part of the mount has spring loaded holder feet. To insert your PDA, you
just position the bottom of it on these padded feet, press down, and then press the top
part of the PDA into the padded top stop.  The padding is a closed cell foam and
holds the PDA securely in place. I drive a small pickup truck and tend to not slow down to
drive over rough railroad tracks and potholes. I never had a problem with any PDA popping
out of the CM220 due to this.

The CM220 is made of a hard black plastic. It feels very sturdy. The spring loaded feet
have a sufficiently stiff spring that holds them in place. The mount has a Pen/Stylus
holder and includes a dual ink pen/stylus. There is also an area that can hold either 2
batteries or a small post-em note pad. The holder feet are separated so that you can use
the serial port of PDA (if the serial port is located at the bottom middle of your PDA)
while it is in the mount. This is convenient if you need to use a GPS, keyboard or other
accessory. 

I think the CM220 is very well constructed and works well with the PDAs that I tested
it with. I found that it was somewhat easier to use with the smaller PDAs like the Palm V
and PalmPilot over the Casio E-100. The Casio E-100 is pretty tall and it takes a bit of
effort to pull the spring loaded feet down far enough to press the PDA into the mount. I
was afraid that the whole mount might pop off the windshield when I was doing this… but
it didn’t. If you need to use your PDA while you are in a vehicle, then you should
definitely consider this product.

Price: $49.95

Pros:
Works with a variety of PDAs.
Made well.
Can still use the serial port while in the mount.

Cons:
A little pricey.

Filed in categories: Car Gear, Windows Mobile related

Tagged: Generic PDA related, Linux Based PDA related, Mount, Newton, Other PDA related, Palm, Palm OS related, Pocket PC, Stand

Universal Palm-size Computer Mount Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 19, 1999 at 12:00 am.

If you are in the market for a sturdy method of mounting your PalmPilot or PalmIII, Revolve Design just might have the solution you are looking for: UniMount. They offer a complete line of mounting kits and accessories that will enable you to mount your PalmPilot just about anywhere. There are basically 5 mounting kits, but within the 5 kits are numerous mounting options.

The focus of this review will be the UniMount base unit. The first reason for this is that all of the mounting options have the UniMount base included. The second reason is that all of the mounting accessories were found to be of high quality. So deciding which mounting kit is best for you will depend on how you wish to mount your palm device, rather than which one is better than the other. Some of the kits in review here utilize the same style components, so you will want to check out their web page to make sure that you get exactly what you’re looking for. Also, their webpage has many more photos of the different mounting systems.

The UniMount Base Unit

Before I get into specifics about the mounting kits, I need to talk about the UniMount base unit. It is included in all of the mounting kits, but can also be purchased separately. The base is the device that actually holds the PalmPilot. It then gets attached to any of the mounting kits.

Even if you are not in the market for a heavy duty mounting solution, the UniMount base is an exceptional “stand” for either of the palm devices. It can hold a PalmPilot, Palm III, or IBM WorkPad. Simply snap the stand of the UniMount base into place and it holds the palm device on an angle (close to 45 deg) so you can sit it on a desk and easily see the screen. It also comes with a removable stylus holder and stylus, a compartment for storing extra batteries or sticky notes, and there is a recessed chamber for clearing the PalmPilot pager card add-on (not included) or just for clearance if you have Velcro on the back of your PalmPilot. There is also an opening in the bottom for access of a HotSync cable.

But what I found most interesting was the Selector System. It’s basically a pointer that slides up and down the side enabling you to open data bases, scroll, and select phone entries. It takes a little getting used to, but it was really neat, and it would come in handy if you had it mounted to a car or something that made it difficult to use a stylus on.

Another great feature is the fast one handed insertion and removal of the PalmPilot/Palm III to/from the base unit. I think this feature would really appeal to the Road Warrior that is in and out of the car frequently and does not fancy leaving the PalmPilot behind. It’s very easy to pop the Pilot in and out of the unit. There is a button at the top of the unit that when pressed lets the Pilot pop forward out of the base. It won’t jump out and fall, but it just pops forward. You can then just grab it by the top and take it out. It also easily snaps into the case.

The back of the UniMount base is designed to fit all of the mounting kits. It utilizes captive nuts and a slot locking system. As an engineer, I can really appreciate all of the unique design features that went into this product. I don’t like cheap, slap it together type products. This product, and all of the other products listed in this review, are very well made. I like to hear a “click” when I snap something into place, and the UniMount base scored very high on my “click factor” scale. I also want to mention that in addition to the Revolve Design web page, there is a manual that came with the base that explains in detail, with clear pictures, how to use each feature.

The UniMount base is designed to hold the palm devices outside of a case. Therefore, there is nothing protecting the screen. That may or may not be an issue. But keep it in mind when you decide how and where you wish to mount your palm device. For instance, the screen is probably safer on your desk top or mounted to your monitor, than in your car. Also, I contacted Revolve Design to find out if they had performed any vibration studies to see if the PalmPilot would be affected if mounted in a vehicle. Their representative told me that they have done extensive field testing with no problems.

Price: $39.95

Pros:
As a stand, it holds Palm devices on an angle for easy screen viewing.
Room for extra batteries / sticky notes.
The Selector System.
Mounting flexibility.
Easy insertion and removal from base.
Scored high on the “click factor” scale.

Cons:
No protection for screen.

Universal Pedestal Mount Kit

As I stated above, all of the mounting kits come with the UniMount base. In the Universal Pedestal Mount Kit, you also get the universal pedestal, (which mounts to the back of the base via a key/slot on the Quick Release adapter plate), a short extension, (1.75″ in length), a long extension, (3.5″ in length), a suction cup attachment, and a Velcro flange attachment.

This kit gives you the ability to mount to a vehicle windshield, using the suction cups, or to the side of your computer monitor, using the Velcro attachment. All of the ball joints are easy to adjust so you can get the correct angle for viewing. And the suction cups are of good quality and hold quite well. The key/slot connection of the UniMount base makes it easy to remove the base if needed.

Price: $69.95

Flex Mount Kit

This kit comes with the UniMount base, the Quick Release adapter plate, and the Flex Mount shaft. The Flex Mount is a 9″ long x .75″ diameter flexible shaft with an adapter foot that can be mounted to any sturdy surface, horizontal or vertical. The Flex Mount is very strong, and yet can be bent to angle the palm device for better viewing or positioning. It also would have a dampening affect on the palm device with regard to vibration. The Flex Mount is designed to be permanently mounted to your vehicle, etc although the UniMount base is removable.

Price: $99.95

Flex Mount with Phone Holder Kit

This kit is the same as mentioned above, but also includes a bridge plate and a phone holder. The phone holder and the UniMount both get mounted to the bridge plate, and then to the Flex Mount shaft. The phone holder is fully adjustable in the length and width. My cell phone easily fit into the holder, which has a quick release button that releases the phone. This kit would come in handy if you were on the road a lot, or wanted to mount your phone and your palm device to your car.

Price: $119.95

Heavy Duty Pedestal Mount Kit

This kit comes with the UniMount base and (like the name says), a heavy-duty pedestal and mounting plates. The plate of the pedestal is designed to be permanently mounted, but the Quick Release adapter plate is included for easy removal of the UniMount base. The ball joints are of good quality and easy to adjust.

Price: $69.95

Vent Mount Kit

This kit includes the UniMount base and a special adapter plate that connects to the air vents of your vehicle. I tried to mount it in my truck, but the vents are only 1.5″ wide and it took me about 20 minutes to finally get it installed. I thought that the extra weight on the vent, (in my case) was a bit too much. My vents are a bit loose, but on a tighter and wider vent it should hold well. The vent clips can adjust to straddle a control lever.

From Julie: I tried the vent mount on my truck and found that it obstructed my radio controls.  You might want to consider this if you are thinking of buying this mounting system. It was pretty easy to put on and take off though.

Price: $54.95

Filed in categories: Car Gear

Tagged: Mount, Palm, Palm OS related, Stand

UniMount System Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 14, 1998 at 12:00 am.

Note: This product is no longer available.

The Xpress Newton Stand by Hi-Rizer is an adjustable stand for any Newton model. This stand is just what I needed to prop up my MP2K while using it at work.  I seemed to always be searching around for a book or something else to use as a prop. The Xpress is made of a light weight (6 oz.) alloy metal. The construction is top quality. I didn’t find any rough or sharp edges. The platform that the Newton rests on is padded. When your Newton is in the stand, it will not touch any metal. On the bottom of the Xpress are 6 non-skid rubber feet. These feet will keep the stand from sliding around on your desk while the Newton is in it.

The Xpress is an adjustable stand. It can be adjusted from its flat position all the way up to 60 degrees. There are actually 11 different positions counting the flat position. Adjusting the stand is easy. You just lift the platform as high as you would like it, and the prop will slide into the appropriate notch.

Your Newton can be placed in landscape or portrait mode. Two padded stops hold the Newton in place no matter which position it is in.

In summary, the Xpress is a great stand for your Newton. It’s light weight, and easy to use. It’s also very easy to travel with because it can fold flat to fit in a briefcase or backpack. I couldn’t find anything that I didn’t like about this stand. If I had to pick one thing that I would change to make it absolutely perfect, it would be a way to fold the padded stops. This would allow the Xpress to be folded totally flat for travel.

Price: $39.99
Construction: A
Usefulness: A
Overall Rating: A

Filed in categories: Uncategorized

Tagged: Mount, Newton, Other PDA related, Stand

Xpress Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 2, 1998 at 12:00 am.