The more snazzy devices we buy, the less we are able to control gizmo clutter. A simple Macintosh workspace with a monitor, printer, and phone quickly becomes overpopulated when space is allocated to a cell phone, digital camera, scanner, and iPod. Unless you have a six-foot desk, little room is left for productive work. Sadly, this same scenario follows us from office to car, as iPods, cell phones, and CDs become daily passengers.

Clutter Solution

Thought Out develops simple solutions for our equipment clutter. The FlexPed is a 9-inch black heavy-duty gooseneck rod topped with an adjustable frame to put your iPod out of harm’s way. The frame adjusts from 2–3” wide to hold most iPods, cell phones, or PDAs, excluding only the iPod nano and shuffle. The heavy metal base has 6 pre-drilled holes so you can mount the FlexPed securely to whatever surface you want. If you don’t want to put holes in your 4-wheeled baby, you can use the included ADPAD adhesive pads instead. The pads need warm weather for installation, that is, at least 70 degrees, and the surface must have some texture for them to stick well.

The FlexPed is a really well built unit. The inside of the heavy steel framed cradle, the innovative PEDHead, is lined with 3M padding to protect your iPod. Adjusting the width of the PEDHead is easy and they supply the simple tool and spacers. You can even reverse the edges and mount the unit under a shelf to keep your playlists at eye-level and free up desk space. Just add a FlexPed for each commonly used device to say hello to recovered desk space and managed cables! The downside is that if you change iPods or use the FlexPed for another device, you need to keep track of the small parts. Try a Casauri zippered pouch for just this purpose.

SiK imp cable

A useful add-on for the FlexPed is the 2-part SiK imp cable, sold separately for $29.99. One end features the standard dock connector with 2 attached ends, a female sound out, and a female FireWire cable, so you can play and charge your dockable iPod simultaneously. If you mount your FlexPed in your car, you will need the auto adapter included in the SiK imp cable kit. The white SiK cables can be easily clipped to the neck of the FlexPed with a thoughtfully included cable holder.


SiK imp – complementary product to FlexPed

Plan Ahead

You want to plan the location of the FlexPed installation carefully. If you measure the distance from the computer or FireWire hub to the sound system with the iPod connected, you won’t have any unplanned cable purchases. All in all, this is a good solution for a semi-permanent mount for your iPod.

by P.A.M. Borys and ilene Hoffman