Tablets/iPads are nifty devices popular with people of all ages. They’ve almost become a staple in the modern home with a myriad of uses. A study done all the way back in 2014 revealed that out 1018 Australians, 18% owned more than one tablet. Makes you wonder what that figure might be now.
With everything going digital, it’s safe to say you could do almost anything on a tablet. From entertainment/educational purposes for young children through to the older generations using them as a replacement for books ie. novels, recipe books, etc. But there are some occasions where you prefer to not have to hold onto it. This usually means having to awkwardly lean it against something, usually below eye level.
Twelve South recently launched a new hands-free tablet holder called the HoverBar Duo. It’s a mix between that lamp from the PIXAR intro meets an oversized car phone holder. This handy contraption can hold either your tablet or phone at any desired angle or height. Not only can it be clamped to the edge of a desk/counter, it can also sit on top of any flat surface with its weighted stand.
The HoverBar Duo is perfect for those who use digital cook books in the kitchen, as a means of doing computer work out of the office or for video calls that won’t come with unflattering camera angles.
And then there’s gamers. How would we be able to insert the HoverBar Duo into our lives? This is the question I asked myself when approached about the launch announcement of this product. I know we’re versatile beings with other skills. But what about the activities involved when it comes to gaming. Can we benefit from the HoverBar Duo? Absolutely, you just have to be creative!
For full disclosure, I haven’t review the HoverBar Duo. These are just some idea which would or should logically work using this product.
A 2ndMonitor For Streaming
It’s not until about a year ago that I invested in a 2nd monitor for my PC. The reasoning behind my purchase was to have another monitor for streaming console/PC games on while also having an easier time looking at Chat instead of looking down at my phone.
If you’re a single screen streamer like I was and own a tablet, you might benefit from the HoverBar Duo. Streaming a game on your PC or TV while having Chat showing on your tablet side-by-side will make handling your stream much easier.
A 2ndMonitor For Everything Else
These days, I’m no longer streaming but having an extension of my main screen is still very handy. But for the most part there are two very different things happening on both of my screens most of the time. So turning your tablet into a 2nd monitor for your PC shouldn’t be a problem as they don’t have to be connected to eachother in this particular situation.
For general use, a 2nd monitor is good for when you’re playing a game that requires grinding or could make you go into auto-pilot. In these sorts of situations, my 2nd monitor is generally streaming a TV show/movie, YouTube or a gaming stream. Or if I’m stuck in a game, a walkthrough might also be up. But don’t tell anyone.
Apps for all sorts of streaming services are available on tablets/iPads. So if you’re looking for some side entertainment while grinding through an MMO, etc. the HoverBar Duo can easily set it up for you.
Remote Play for Consoles
The future is here, the future is now and the future is going so fast that we’ve reached the stage of playing console games without being near our consoles. Remote services for both Playstation and Xbox are now allowing us to enjoy our favourite games where ever we go. However, this has mostly been marketed as a way of being able to play console games via our mobile phones.
But what if we’re at home and the TV is being used? Or we’re too lazy to go in the other room? Or we’re having a bath?
Sure. you could awkwardly rest your tablet against something. But depending on where you are, you run the risk of damaging or sinking your precious device. Using the HoverBar Duo though would keep your tablet not only safe and secure but also at a comfortable eye level. This means your can comfortably game where ever you are inside your house without playing large-scale video games on a tiny phone screen.
Hands-Free Dockless Nintendo Switch
This sort of comes under the same umbrella as the Remote Play idea. What if you used the HoverBar Duo to hold your Nintendo Switch instead of your tablet? It’s able to hold both phones and tablets so surely a Switch could sit in it comfortably. And if you were in those same situations as previously stated, why not use it to hold your Switch as well?
Granted, it’s a smaller screen than a tablet so it would still need to be within close viewing range. And it’s already designed to be handheld when away from the TV. But sometimes playing Switch games using an actual controller feels a lot more comfortable
DIY KeyLight
I’m thinking way outside of the box with this one. It might be a little farfetched but I have a feeling it could work. Depending on how bright your tablet or iPad screen can get, you could turn it into a cheap-ish lighting solution.
All you’d have to do is find a plain white image to fill your screen, pop the tablet/iPad into your HoverBar Duo and you’ve got yourself a streaming/video light. Would it be as power as other KeyLights on the market? Probably not. But it’s something. Especially you’re just starting out as a streamer and aren’t financially ready to invest in the whole kit’n’kaboodle.
The HoverBar Duo is available for purchase at JB Hi-Fi and twelvesouth.com.au for AUD$139.95.
