Get a grip on your tablet

We want our tablets and ebook readers to be thin and light, but that can also mean they're slippery and sometimes difficult to hold. If you've tried to hold a tablet in one hand while you're your other hand is typing or trying some exotic multi-finger gesture, then you know what I mean.

When Denver DJ Kevin "Prometheus" Trotsky couldn't find a device that would let him get a grip on his iPad, he invented one. It's called the Whale Tail and it lets you hold a tablet securely with one hand or prop up the device on almost any surface.

The gadget some in two pieces. The first is a black dome-shaped Vacuum Dock that sticks to the back of the your tablet like those suction cup brackets that mount your GPS on your car's windshield. But this one has a built-in pumping button that insures a tight fit on a plastic case or on the iPad's aluminum back.    

The dock is the perfect size for the palm of your hand. It gives you a solid hold on your device while your other hand is free to point, type or swipe. The other component is the tail, which snaps into place in the center of the dock. Now you have a stand as well as a gripper.

The tail is both sturdy and flexible. It can be attached and bent to hold the tablet at a variety of angles, in either portrait or landscape mode.

I usually keep my iPad in an X-Doria folio case, but I've found lots of uses for the Whale Tail. It was especially welcome when I did a presentation to a group and it finds just the right angle for iPadding in bed.

The Whale Tail cost $49.95 at Octa.com.

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Written by Ric Manning

Follow me on Twitter @ricmanning and read my technology columns at My Well Being.