Remember when we used to get a newspaper delivered to the house. This wasn’t too long ago. Thanks to the internet and tablet computers, the demise of the printed newspaper is underway. Newspapers that do not have a good internet strategy are becoming extinct. I remember as a kid many years ago running outside in my pajamas before my neighbor could see me so that I could get the morning paper to read while eating my Captain Crunch. I did this for many years until I slipped on the ice and fell. Like any 10-year old kid, I got up as fast as humanly possible before my neighbors could see me laying on my back in my Star Wars pajamas. Thankfully, nobody saw me although I remember that I abandoned the mission and left the paper on the driveway in them middle of that black ice. That’s where desk mounts start to make sense.
I also remember that we would watch television in bed before going to sleep and although that’s still done in this household, I have also browsed the tablet and watched a few movies before (or while) falling asleep.
Using your iPad, Samsung Galaxy Tab or any tablet in your home for entertainment purposes just got easier thanks to desk mounts. Holding your iPad while watching a movie in bed is almost impossible. Finally, solutions are available which eliminates the “hold your tablet on your chest and don’t fall asleep” syndrome. These solutions also come in mighty handy for using your tablet to read the paper or a book.
The photo that accompanies this article is the Arkon Tablet Clamp Mount. These desk mounts, combined with an expandable cradle, clip onto your night stand or any table. They can be deployed anywhere that a table ledge exists. Similar mounts are available with weighted bases. Some are also available with a screw on base. While I never thought about it before writing this article, mounting your tablet to the wall might be a pretty cool thing to do and is a lot cheaper than buying a television for this purpose. Just add a bluetooth remote control and you can watch video from your tablet without getting out of bed. Bluetooth remotes are available all over the internet for $20 and up. They add some nice functionality including play, fast forward, rewind and stop. Some can also control your camera and can even activate Siri on Apple devices. I really don’t know what you would want to ask Siri while in bed, but using these remotes, you can do it.
For home use, my father likes to use his iPad to read the paper and emails. He uses the inexpensive Arkon Foldable Travel Mount on the dining room table. While he drinks his coffee and eats his Captain Crunch, he browses the world events from the New York Times application. His iPad sits within the travel mount which makes it easy to read while eating your cereal. Sitting in a vertical position also has the added benefit of not spilling milk on the tablet because as you know, Captain Crunch can end up being a messy affair.