Two Oregon attorneys have taken the initiative to make the iPad more functional for courtroom use and their solution, a unique new case, looks to have potential outside the courtroom as well.
As reported by the ABA Journal, Portland attorneys Bryan Churchill and Jamie Daigle found the iPad to be an invaluable tool in their legal research and courtroom execution. But, as they worked together on a case last year, they realized that the Cupertino tablet was not always the easiest thing to hold.
“There’s got to be a better way to hold this,” Mr. Churchill said to OregonLive.com. Working with product design company Fuse, the two lawyers-turned-inventors created the Clutch, an iPad case with an integrated rotating handle, making it easy and comfortable to hold the device with one hand.
Setting the Clutch apart from previous iPad case designs, the handle can be moved and reattached at any of four points around the perimeter of the iPad, acting as a stand for the device. Further, the handle also acts as a storage device with its hollow innards large enough to accommodate several charging cables and even a wall charger (however, the size of the handle appears to only accomodate an Apple USB Power Adapter and not the larger 10W iPad Power Adapter).
The Clutch handle acts as a storage area for iPad chargers and cables.
Design complete, the pair have turned to Kickstarter with a fundraising goal of $75,000. While they are currently far short of that goal with only a few days left, Mr. Daigle has stated that they plan to push forward with the production, regardless of their fundraising outcome.
“We believe in the project so much, that we think if we move forward, eventually we’ll be able to recoup the business,” Mr. Daigle said.
As for the experience of working with a project via Kickstarter, “It is surreal. You’re part of a large group of people that are attempting to use a vehicle to make whatever their dream is a reality,” Mr. Churchill explained.
While there are a multitude of iPad cases designed to be held single-handedly, the Clutch is perhaps the most innovative, with its integrated cable and charger storage a boon to iPad users on the go. Final pricing and availability are not yet definite, although a $60 Kickstarter contribution promises to get you one by April 2012.