Twelve South

We make time to read Design*Sponge every chance we get — their tales of small space renovations for city dwellers and old furniture getting new life are awe-inspiring. We are suckers for great before-and-after shots. (And we should do a shout-out to the wonderful D*S founder Grace Bonney here…her new book, Design*Sponge at Home, is available for pre-order on Amazon.com right now, and you can bet we’ve ordered ours.)

Kate Pruitt, a Design*Sponge Senior Editor whose personal specialty is DIY, is one of our favorites on that site, and on another site, My Life Scoop, where she’s not afraid to show her love of all things tech.

In her words:

“As someone working in the design industry, I can tell you that getting your technology in order is crucial to your success in any creative field. The majority of graphic designers are already on board — take the fabulous typographer Jessica Hische and her streamlined office above, for example. But fine artists, craftsmen and other hands-on, low-tech worshippers should take note–the tech devices available for creatives today are really amazing, and can genuinely help creatives of all kinds spark ideas, manage their workflow, and stay organized and efficient.”

“I’ve rounded up some great gadgets and accessories that everyone in the creative class should check out. Whether it’s scanning and sharing your work online, sketching and jotting ideas on the go, or just minimizing the clutter in your office or studio, these tools can streamline your daily tasks and help open your mind to new ideas and inspirations.”

Thanks for taking notice of our BackPack (shown at #2)…it’s the best way we know of to hide things behind your Apple Cinema Display!

(TIP: If anyone finds #4, at $399, to be a bit steep for a laptop stand, may we suggest a certain “Apple-centric” stand we like to call BookArc for MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, or iPad?)

Cool Mom Tech, the brainchild of NYC-based power-blogging creatives Kristen Chase (herself a Parents magazine Top 10 Power Moms recipient and guest on both the Today show and CNN) and Liz Gumbinner (ad agency creative director cited on Forbes‘ list of 10 Mommyhood Gurus) is a site dedicated to serving as “the intersection of tech and style, of parenting, practicality and fabulosity.”

We like it because it brings cool techy things to our attention all the time — things we’ve somehow missed ourselves but love love love the moment we see them. (You can also follow Cool Mom Tech and Cool Mom Picks on Twitter.)

So it’s a uniquely fine honor to find our BookArc featured on the site.

Here’s what Liz at Cool Mom Tech (the sister site of Cool Mom Picks) has to say about BookArc:

I love that iPads aren’t just fun little gadgets anymore. Considering all the accessories for them now, you can really make them work hard for you. Case in point: a beautiful, thoughtful stand for those smitten with the Apple aesthetic.

The BookArc for iPad from the clever folks at twelvesouth keeps your tablet upright for easy charging, movie-watching, or digital photo displaying. Add a Bluetooth keyboard and set it on your desk, and now your tablet is your own mini-computer–perfect for those who don’t like the kickstand-style cases and want something with a little more permanence.

I kind of love everything about it.

And if you’re a MacBook Air owner (as I hope to be soon) twelvesouth’s BookArc for MacBook Air looks like an amazing tool. The steel stand is cushioned on the inside to cradle your MacBook Air snugly and securely, with clever cable management built in. But it’s not just a charging dock. If you’re a blogger or design type who works with two monitors, connect your MacBook Air to your external monitor in the BookArc, keep it closed, and apps like Photoshop will run way faster.

Poke around the twelvesouth site for a lot of nifty, accessories for Apple devotees and design minimalists. Same thing, right?

We’d have to agree. Get your own BookArc here…for iPad/iPad 2, for MacBook, and for MacBook Air.

OmniTechBuzz sees a lot of tech products, and puts a lot of great ihow-tos and tips out there, including some useful stuff about great apps. Last week they tested out our BookArc for iPad/iPad 2 and put together this really professional and straightforward review. Thanks for the coverage! Great stuff! We hope to see more Twelve South products on OmniTechBuzz.

And if you’d like to enjoy the stand that OmniTechBuzz gives “5 out of 5 stars,” order it here.

Tech correspondent Phil Baker knows his stuff — in his work with The Daily Transcript (San Diego) he’s pretty much seen it all. If it’s been invented and hit the market, he’s probably had a peek at it.

That’s precisely why we’re honored that after enjoying our BookArc for a few weeks, Phil chose it as the “tech product of the week” for his Tech column.

Here’s the skinny, hot off the press:

Tech Product of the Week: BookArc

Notebooks have become so thin, they take up hardly any room when stored on their edge. So Twelve South has created a beautiful arc-shaped stand created out of a solid slab of aluminum for just that purpose. Use it to store a MacBook Air or similar sized notebook while charging or using with a monitor and keyboard. A soft insert firmly grips the notebook for a secure fit while a keyhole routes cables out of the way. ($40, twelvesouth.com)

Thanks for the coverage! Want to clear the clutter on your desk and make maximum use of your MacBook with a monitor and wireless keyboard? Get your own BookArc here.

While we try our best to keep up with the things that are written about our products, somehow we missed this thorough review of BookArc for MacBook. It’s from Tech Trackr (“Tracking Today’s Tech”) and they went deep when it comes to checking out BookArc for increased MacBook performance as a desktop machine, as well as its overall usefulness.

Here’s their take on BookArc:

“From start to finish, Twelve South managed to impress me with its BookArc—here’s why:

First off, the packaging’s pretty impressive. The outer-most box is covered in an attractive stitched cloth material—I’m definitely keeping the box that the BookArc came in (in fact, Twelve South gave me twelve suggestions on what I could do with it!)

In my eyes, the BookArc serves two main functions: eliminating clutter and increasing function—I’m so fond of this accessory because it does both of these things extremely well.

Let’s talk about the BookArc’s “space-saving” abilities first: it’s blatantly obvious that the BookArc frees up a nice chunk of space on your desk in the most elegant way possible. And while it’s true that you could just lay your MacBook flat on your desk, who really wants to give us that much valuable real estate? It’s also incredibly easy to detach your MacBook in case you need to grab it and go—straps and cables need not apply.

And, believe it or not, the BookArc actually increases function. One of the biggest disadvantages of having a laptop (MacBooks especially) is that they overheat. In case you weren’t aware, the entire line of MacBooks actually slows down the processor when the temperature exceeds a certain temperature. The BookArc poses a solution by keeping your notebook cooler.  We found that our early MacBook Pro model ran faster; although the speed increase wasn’t enormous, it was definitely noticeable.

Lastly, it’s worth mentioning the build quality of this thing: the BookArc itself is made from some pretty high-quality aluminum. It has an impressive, sleek design that is truly “Apple-esque.” At just over a pound, the BookArc is pretty hefty so unless you’re unusually strong, I doubt the BookArc’s going anywhere (meaning if you accidentally nudge it, I don’t anticipate any consequences).”

THE GOOD

• Simple, yet elegant design
• Compatible with almost every MacBook ever made
• Awesome build quality
• Practical for both home and office use

Thanks, Tech Trackr…we’ll keep our eyes on you from here on out! Get your own BookArc here. (And if you’ve got an iPad, there’s one for you too.)

Those delightful people over at MyMac certainly stay busy. Since 1995, they’ve been bringing Mac lovers the latest news and reviews on all types of Mac-centric add-ons and originals. So we’re always happy when they take the time to review one of our products. This time veteran critic John Nemerovski took a hard look at our Compass, and it sounds like he’s in love.

Here’s what John has to say about our Compass after taking a close look:

“Think of an elegant easel for a fastidious Lilliputian artist, and you’re half-way home to picturing the quality, configuration and size of The Compass: Seven inches tall with a five inch lower leg span. Let’s be honest: It’s fun to play with it! It needs to be held and manipulated to show off  the elegance of its design, construction, and finish.”

There’s more about how it works in his review, which you can read here. But his conclusion?

“Everything about The Compass is first-rate. It’s very light-weight yet sturdy, and when folded into a 3/8 inch thick, seven inch long tapered shape, it snuggles neatly into its black velvet carrying bag with a red elastic band to secure it, and a flap to keep it clean.

The Compass, priced at $40.00, is a worthy sibling to The BookArc, which is priced at $30.00. The Compass’ display box isn’t as exciting as The BookArc’s faux-leather multi-use box, but it’s attractive and offers an instructive cardboard sleeve that describes and pictures the two ways to configure the stand.

Twelve South appears to respect its customers and to want them to enjoy its products. It succeeds with both The BookArc and The Compass.”

Thanks for the review, John. Glad you enjoyed Compass. Everyone else can get their Compass and BookArc for iPad and iPad 2 right here.

BookArc for iPad fits the new iPad 2 quite well. Some have even said “BookArc fits iPad 2 even better than before.” BookArc also supports iPad 2 with iPad Smart Cover installed. Again, the main reason you might consider a Smart Cover and a BookArc is that BookArc supports your iPad in Portrait mode as well as Landscape. We much prefer FaceTime in Portrait vs. Landscape, and we think you’ll agree — it feels more natural and just generally works better. Here are the angles and positions BookArc holds iPad 2:

iPad 2 display angles
(using insert 1P)

iPad 2 in display mode (landscape) 76 degrees

iPad 2 in display mode (portrait) 73 degrees

iPad 2 in upright mode (landscape) 85 degrees

iPad 2 in upright mode (portrait) 82 degrees

iPad 2 display angles with various cases
(using insert 2P)

iPad 2 with Smart Cover (portrait) 77 degrees

iPad 2 with Smart Cover (landscape) 80 degrees

For comparison, here’s the iPad 1 Display angle:

iPad 1 in display mode (portrait) 75 degrees

Just say “yes” to your own BookArc for iPad and iPad 2. Get yours right here, right now.