In the Gold Rush, many who struck figurative gold were not the prospectors but those who sold the pick axes and pans.
The same applies in just about any market, including the mobile device ‘gold rush’. It’s not the gadget makers alone who are striking it lucky — millions of entrepreneurs who develop innovative accessories for mobile phones and tablet computers are raking it in, too.
In 2011, the global market for mobile phone accessories was an estimated $34 billion, according to New York’s ABI Research and will rise to $50.2 billion this year.
Out to grab his share of that pie is Alon Tamir, a Melbourne entrepreneur who has set up a full-fledged studio with goal of designing and building exciting new accessories under the umbrella brand of Wallee.
StudioProper has just released an iPad accessory that allows motorists to mount the tablet computer on the back of a seat, instead of holding it in their hands all the way. Called the Headrest, it turns any car into an entertainment hub by attaching the mount to a car seat with a simple turn and click movement.
Entertainment hub for the car
The Headrest is crafted from anodized aluminium — just like the iPad and other Apple products — and can swing out to a central position between the two front seats, and be switched between landscape and portrait, for versatile viewing.
“Instead of uncomfortably holding the iPad in your lap in the back-seat of the car, we’ve created a perfect mount that lets you lock it into your car’s headrest. You can multitask or just sit back and enjoy the ride,” said Tamir. “The great thing about the iPad, is that it can transform into so many things. You can use it for a wide range of entertainment and productivity uses.”
Tamir says he sought to create something new in an iPad accessory market “filled with copy-cat designs.”
“So we wanted to create something new, which has never been done before. Our designs exist to make the iPad experience more enjoyable,” he said.
The Headrest is not Tamir’s first iPad accessory. He previously released the Pix and Stix — a set of guitar picks and capacitive drum sticks that can actually be used on the iPad. The Headrest, fully designed and made in Australia, is available for $39.95 with free shipping around the world.
