Month: May 2015

A few weeks ago, LynkTec sent me a free review unit of its 360 Tablet Kickstand.  I received it just a few days before I headed to Chicago for ABA TECHSHOW, and I have kept it on my iPad for the last three weeks, except to periodically remove it just to make sure that it is still just as easy to put on and off.  This is a really useful device that I can recommend for two reasons:  it is a great stand, plus it is also makes it much easier to hold an iPad in your hand.

Microsuction adhesion

When I first saw this device, I assumed that it had some sort of a sticky paste as an adhesion, which made me nervous that if I stuck it to my iPad, it wouldn’t easily come off again.  But to my surprise, it actually uses nothing glue-like at all, so there is no residue that could be left on the back of your iPad.  The device instead uses microsuction technology, which is like having thousands of tiny suction cups gripping the smooth back of the iPad.  I cannot see them, but they are there.

To apply the device, just push it firmly down on the back of your iPad.  To remove it, put your fingers around the curved part and slowly and gently pull it off.  I applied and removed the device many times, and had no trouble attaching it or removing it.

Once attached, it is a very, very strong connection.  I have no concern that it will come unattached by mistake.  And I have never noticed even a hint of a problem with the connection in the three weeks that I have been using the product.

When the device is removed, you can apply an included plastic pad over the microsuction end so that you can store it in a briefcase or purse and it won’t stick to anything else.

Stand

The primary purpose of the product is to serve as a kickstand.  Once attached, the hinge on the leg of the device can be adjusted to any angle.  Once in an angle, it is very firm and stays in that angle until you move it.  Even if you type or push down rather hard on the iPad, the leg stays in place at that angle. 

The number 360 is in the name because you can also spin the leg.  It snaps into any of eight positions.  Frankly, it could have just snapped into four positions — I cannot think of any reason that you would want the stand at a diagonal position.  If you think of the stand as normally being pointed down at the 6 o’clock position, by turning it to either the 3 o’clock or the 9 o’clock position, the stand will hold an iPad in a portrait position.  I use my iPad in a landscape position far more than the portrait position, but it is nice that this stand can adjust to portrait when you need it.

Holder

The device makes a nice kickstand, but what I liked even more is that it works so well as a holder or handle for the iPad.  I frequently find myself leaning back in a chair and reading documents, transcripts, etc. on my iPad.  I found that holding the leg in my hand was much more comfortable than holding the edges of the iPad.  (Indeed, this is a reason that I used to love  to use the FreeOneHand, but unfortunately that product has not been updated for the iPad Air / iPad Air 2.)

Although the leg is made of aluminum, it has soft curved edges on the side, so it doesn’t hurt to hold it i your hand for a long period of time.  The openings in the leg give you lots of spots to place your fingers so that you can find a position that feels best.  And the leg is tapered near the bottom, which also gives you another place to comfortably grip the leg.

For example, during my plane ride to Chicago for TECHSHOW, I had some transcripts to review.  I launched the TranscriptPad app, held my iPad by gripping the 360 Tablet Kickstand in my left hand and annotated using my right hand, and it was a much more comfortable way to hold my iPad during a long flight than just gripping the edges.  I also felt that the iPad was much more secure, far less likely to slip out of my hand than if had been holding it at the edge.

Limitations

Because this product attaches to the back of your iPad, you cannot use it if you have a case that covers the back.  I use an Apple Smart Cover, which just protects the front of my iPad, so that wasn’t a problem for me.

The device does protrude somewhat from the back of your iPad, even when you fold the leg all of the way down.  I typically carry my iPad in Tom Bihn Ristretto bag, and the sleeve where the iPad goes is big enough to accommodate this device.  But if you use some sort of very slim sleeve to cover your iPad, it may or may not work with this device attached.

Conclusion

The best thing that I can say about the Lynktec 360 Tablet Kickstand is that when I first received it, I had planned to remove it after my review was posted.  But instead, I plan to keep using it for a long time.  It is incredibly useful, it feels good in your hands, and it adds almost nothing to the size and weight of your iPad.  This is a great product for anyone looking for an effective way to prop up an iPad on a desk, plus a way to more easily hold it in their hands.

Click here to get the 360 Tablet Kickstand by Lynktec on Amazon ($39.99)

The world of iPhone and iPad this week was pretty much all focused on the Apple Watch.  I’ve now been using mine for a week, and I continue to really like it because it is so convenient to use.  Sure, almost everything that you can do on an Apple Watch you can do on an iPhone, but it is just as true that just about everything that you can do on an iPhone, you could do on a computer.  Of course, carrying around a computer — while possible, especially with a small laptop — is not convenient, and that is why we all have iPhones in our pockets.  Similarly, it is a lot more convenient to glance at your wrist than to fumble for an iPhone in your pocket every time you need to look at a notification or get some other quick information.  At the risk of needing to change the name of this website from iPhoneJD.com to something like WatchJD.com, here is the news of note from the past week, with a heavy emphasis on the Apple Watch:

• One of the presentations that I gave at ABA TECHSHOW in Chicago a few weeks ago was called 60 Apps in 60 Minutes.  When I got home from Chicago, I posted a list of all of the 60+ apps that we discussed.  But while I was still in Chicago, right after the session ended, I was interviewed by Laurence Colletti of the Legal Talk Network and I explained the reasons for including some of the apps in our list.  That interview is now part of a podcast, so if you want to hear what I had to say, you can listen to the podcast here on the Legal Talk Network website, or you can download the podcast on iTunes here.  That podcast also includes a discussion of Android and Windows apps, but the iPhone/iPad part of the podcast is at the very beginning.
• Florida attorney Katie Floyd describes her first day with the Apple Watch
• California attorney David Sparks describes his first two days with the Apple Watch
• Sparks also says that when it comes to organizing the icons on your Apple Watch, X marks the spot.  [UPDATE 5/5/2015:  After trying this for a while, I went back to the normal clustering.  For me, I find that it takes too long to move up and down and around the legs of a large X to find an app that I want.  Still, it is an interesting idea that some might like.]
• Kathryn Rubino of Above the Law tells the tale of U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss who lost an iPhone on a ski slope.  And for the record, the tale has nothing to do with the Apple Watch.
• New York attorney Nicole Black talks about how lawyers might use an Apple Watch in this post for The Daily Record.
• John Gruber of Daring Fireball wrote an interesting article on what the Apple Watch is for.
• Caitlin McGarry and Susie Ochs of Macworld have recommendations for setting up an Apple Watch.
• Jason Snell of Six Colors shares his initial thoughts on the Apple Watch.
• Dan Moren of Six Colors shares his thoughts after using the Apple Watch for a week.
• Ochsner Hospital in New Orleans is using the Apple Watch to monitor patients, as noted by Meg Farris with WWL-TV.  I’m sure that we will see more of this in the future.
• Rene Ritchie of iMore describes using an Apple Watch when traveling by airplane.
• When Siri first came out on the iPhone 5s, people frequently shared examples of some of the funny things that Siri said.  It’s been a while since I’ve seen one of these articles, but J.R. Bookwalter wrote an update for Macworld that shows that Siri hasn’t lost her sense of humor.
• You could shower with an Apple Watch, but Jeff Benjamin of iDownloadBlog explains why you really shouldn’t do so.
• Consumer Reports wrote an interesting article on the scratch resistance of the sapphire crystal on the Apple Watch.  It performs incredibly well, almost as strong as diamond, and able to withstand a knife, a steel nail, and even a drill bit.
• The stainless steel on an Apple Watch can be scratched, but for about $5 you can fix a scratch, according to Dom Esposito of 9to5Mac.
• And finally, if you really need to get more information on torturing an Apple Watch (specifically, the Sport model), this video from CNET made me wince, especially when she took out the cheese grater: