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Opening the Book(Book) on Twelve South: between the covers of a Mac-exclusive accessory maker
The year is 2009. In history books, it'll widely be recognized as the year that most of America -- heck, the world -- would prefer to forget. Job after job was lost, bank after bank fell, and humanity as we knew it plunged into "the worst recession since the Great Depression." It's also the year that Palm attempted a comeback with webOS, and as it turns out, the year that yet another accessory company was born. While such an occurrence may be forgettable on a macro scale, economic researchers and lovers of technology alike have reason to take notice -- and, indeed, ask questions. So, that's exactly what I did. Beyond growing a technology startup in a me-too field during the worst economy that I've personally been a part of, it's also not often that I find compelling consumer electronics companies far outside of New York City and San Francisco. Twelve South just so happens to be located in a nondescript nook in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina -- just a beautiful trip over the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge from historic Charleston. Three years after its founding, the company now fittingly counts a dozen employees on its roster, and despite entering a market flooded with iAccessory after iAccessory, it has somehow managed to grab its own slice of an increasingly large niche. As with all good success stories, this particular outfit has plenty of twists, turns and run-ins with Lady Luck to tell about; for those interested in seeing how the "stay small" mantra is keeping Twelve South firmly focused on the future ahead, take a peek beyond the break.
Twelve South's BookArc for Air stand cozies up around your MacBook Air
Twelve South's made somewhat of a name for itself by crafting unexpected (and generally visually pleasing) accessories for everything Apple, but the ouftit's latest just seems particularly superfluous. The BookAir for Air is described as a vertical stand for the MacBook Air, enabling you to hoist your new ultraportable upright for use with a desktop monitor and keyboard. 'Course, we have to believe that only a smattering of individuals have any real interest in using their MBA as a desktop replacement, but hey, at least there's now a stand should you fit into that category. She'll be on sale soon for $39.99, with initial shipments to head out next month. %Gallery-115309%
TUAW review and giveaway -- BookArc from Twelve South
It's no surprise that TUAW bloggers like the products from Twelve South. They're made only for Macs, they have excellent quality and the company always sends us items to give away to our readers. We've previously had giveaways for the BackPack, BassJump, and now we're giving away a stylish BookArc. The US$49.00 BookArc takes advantage of the ability of Apple's MacBooks (Air and Pro included) to work as a desktop machine when the screen is closed and the computer is connected to an external mouse, keyboard, and monitor. You could just lay your MacBook on the desktop, but then it takes up valuable real estate. How about if you could just position your laptop vertically so it takes up a minimum amount of your desktop? That's what the BookArc is all about. Like the other products from Twelve South, the BookArc is attractively packaged, so it makes a wonderful gift for your favorite MacBook owner ... or yourself. After opening the box, you see the aluminum BookArc with one silicone insert installed, and deeper inside the box are two more inserts. These inserts grip and cushion your MacBook, so you'll want to make sure you have the correct one installed. Not to worry -- they're easy to install and remove. There's not too much more to say in terms of a review, other than the BookArc looks great and it does its job well. If you're not familiar with how to use your MacBook with the display closed, TwelveSouth thoughtfully provides a link to an Apple Knowledge Base page that has instructions. Now, it's time for a TUAW reader to win a BookArc. Here are the details: Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia who are 18 and older. To enter, leave a comment telling us what kind of MacBook you're going to use with the BookArc. The comment must be left before Wednesday, February 24, 2010, 11:59PM Eastern Standard Time. You may enter only once. One winner will be selected in a random drawing. Prize: One Twelve South BookArc desktop stand for MacBook ($49 value) Click Here for complete Official Rules. Good luck! Check out the gallery below for some shots of the BookArc you may soon be using. %Gallery-86134%
