Cool Usb Toys


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Podium for iPhone 3G

author Posted by: George on date Mar 23rd, 2009 | filed Filed under: (home)Office, iPhone / iPod Touch

I’ve had my iPhone 3G for a while now and it has become an all-around-useful tool that I whip out for almost anything. This means that I try to avoid just setting it down somewhere.

For instance, my iPhone works great as a digital clock and also shows me real-time stock market info, but how can I see all this when it gets buried under a pile of work on my desk?

Luckily I now have a Podium. A Podium is a stand for holding your iPhone up and above your desk clutter. The Podium even swivels so that you can turn it 90 degrees to watch a movie, graph, or any other visual in landscape orientation, without having to get your iPhone out of the holder.

For this swivel function, the Podium has a nice ballhead that’s tight enough to keep your iPhone in place and loose enough to be moved around with one hand.

The flexible plastic holder keeps a firm grip on your iPhone while still making it easy to remove.

Watch this little video to see what the Podium can do:

As you can see from the video, the stand is very sturdy and very shiny (also comes in white). Of course, shiny will soon show the prints of dirty fingers, but we’re used to that on our iPhones anyway.

The Podium has a nice opening in the back, which – as shown on the video – is for guiding your connection cable through. This works great and keeps the cable from being in the way in front of the Podium.

I tried some other Apple gadgets on the Podium, and I can say that both the new 2nd generation iPod touch and the original iPod touch fit nicely in the Podium. I don’t have a case around my iPhone so I could not give that a try, but the clips on the Podium are somewhat flexible so an “encased” iPhone could fit.

After testing out the Podium for a couple of days, I’m now using my iPhone in completely new ways at my desk. I look at it to check the time. I prop it up like a board so that I can look at my notes (previously entered into the iPhone) while I work. The Podium is proving to be a highly practical accessory for my iPhone 3G.

The Podium is available in a version for the old iPhone and a version for the iPhone 3G (it also works with iPod touch).

Conclusion: With the Podium, Pivotal has made a practical, useful, and nice-looking product. I use this stand all the time, and it goes some way towards keeping a clean desk. It would be great for watching a movie on the plane, although the metal might set off Airport Security. The Podium will make a great stand for your iPhone while you use the speakerphone or, like me, follow stocks throughout the day.

Go to the Podium website and see for yourself how nice it is.