Rotato will put a monitor where you want it

I learned the value of working with multiple monitors several years ago when I was the website manager for a large publishing company. With two (or three) monitors, I could have a flurry of open windows and live feeds and multitask to my heart’s content.

The only drawback was the inability to stand one of those monitors on end. Working with web-based products and print layouts, I wanted to see a vertical image.

That’s the issue that caught the attention of Focus-Dynamics, a company launched by a father-and-sons team of engineering design professionals. When they were unable find a reliable way to rotate a computer monitor, they created one. It’s called Rotato and it’s currently coming to life through a Kickstarter campaign.

“A lot of the information programmers and graphic designers need to see and manipulate is easier to read and work with on a tall screen,” said Forrest Seitz, one of the founders of Focus-Dynamics. “I have a number of colleagues who keep their monitor permanently on its side for this very reason. I thought, there has to be a better way.”

The Rotato is a combination of hardware and software. The hardware is a motorized accessory used to mount a display screen on a standard VESA 100x100 monitor stand. The motor is powered by a USB connection and doesn’t need separate AC power.

The software allows a user to rotate the monitor 90 degrees with the click of a hotkey combination. Check out the video below to see the Rotato do its thing.

Backers who pledge $49 or more will be in line to get one of the first Rotatos. The device is expected to ship in February, 2016. You can keep up with the campaign’s progress on the Focus-Dynamics website, on the Kickstarter page and @Rotato_Monitor on Twitter.

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Written by Ric Manning

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