Charles Moore's Mailbag
SightFlex Adjustable iSight Stand
Charles Moore - 2004.05.12 - Tip Jar
Apple's iSight is the webcam component of the iLife suite, and it's a cool little piece of hardware, but the mounting clips provided by Apple leave something to be desired in terms of mounting flexibility. At times Apple's hardware leaves you with no ideal way to position your iSight the way you want it situated.
That's where the new SightFlex adjustable iSight mounting stand from MacMice comes in. SightFlex is essentially a six-and-a-half foot long USB cable with the first 20" running coaxially inside a flexible metal gooseneck similar to old-fashioned gooseneck lamps (I have one by my bed) that can be grabbed and twisted any way you want with the happy characteristic of holding its shape when bent and staying the way you put it.
A
surprisingly heavily weighted hemispheric base attached to the satin
chrome-plated gooseneck makes sure the camera stays in the desired
position and orientation, as long as you keep the iSight's center of
gravity within 6" or so of the SightFlex base. Fully extended, the
SightFlex gooseneck is more than 20" tall - enough to "see" over the
top of a 23" Apple Cinema Display.
The iSight mounts to the SightFlex by simply plugging the six pin USB connector at the top of the gooseneck into the iSight's USB socket.
You
can use a SightFlex-mounted iSight beside a display, peeking over a
display or PowerBook, peeking around a display or PowerBook, squished
down in a coil, twisted in a knot, or even peeking out from under an
Apple Cinema or Studio LCD display.
The SightFlex has a solid, quality look and feel. The gooseneck seems robust, with just the right balance between stiffness and flexibility, and the USB cable is thickly insulated with clear plastic over the silver braided shielding.
SightFlex's weighted base is finished in metallic silver, which will nicely match both the iSight and Apple's metal PowerBooks. Its hemispherical shape is an homage to the flat panel iMac.
The bottom of the base is finished with a smooth plastic appliqué that won't scratch your desk or table.
I really couldn't find much to complain about with the SightFlex. There was a small dent in the base of the test unit when it arrived, but I expect that is not typical.
SightFlex sells for $29.99.
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Charles Moore has been a freelance journalist since 1987 and began writing for Mac websites in May 1998. His The Road Warrior column was a regular feature on MacOpinion, and he is a news editor and columnist at Applelinks.com. If you find his articles helpful, please consider making a donation to his tip jar.
Recent articles by Charles W. Moore
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- MacBook Air vs. MacBook Pro, Looking for a Vertical MacBook Stand, and SE/30 Internet Tips, Charles Moore's Mailbag, 2012.01.31. Whether a MacBook Air makes as much sense as a MacBook Pro, finding a vertical stand for a MacBook, and tips for getting an SE/30 on the Internet.
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