In a world increasingly defined by technology, smart phones and tablets have become all the rage.
Many people are virtually inseparable from their devices, burrowing their heads and spending hours upon hours of time consumed by such electronics. In fact, it's been projected that businesses alone will buy $12 billion worth of tablets in 2012.
While these devices may make our lives easier, they contain one notable pitfall: They aren't hands-free.
That's where Boulder-based Blackglass LLC's STEELIE comes in. Launched in November, STEELIE is a magnetic ball-and-socket system that connects your electronic device to different mounts.
The system works by attaching a slim magnetic ring socket to the back of a phone or tablet, which then connects to a steel ball on a mount, allowing the device to be rotated in virtually any position. It is the steel ball that gives STEELIE its name.
"Everyone loves their phones so much and we wanted to provide a home for them," said Rich Garcia, a partner in STEELIE.
Users can purchase the Phone Kit that comes with a mount to place on their cars' dashboards, giving them easy access to their phones' GPS. There's also the Table Top Kit, which includes an easily transportable stand to place devices on for while on the go. Another option is the Hobknob, which provides a non-slip surface, functioning as both a stand and handle for a tablet.
But it's the manufacturing process that makes STEELIE unique, company officials say.
Under the mantra "four guys, four walls," Blackglass manufactures nearly all of its parts by hand in Boulder, taking out the middle man and providing quality products to consumers directly.
"Everything seems so disposable in today's society, so we wanted to make something that would last," Garcia said.
Garcia, Frank Vogel, Paul Turner and Andy Emanuel make up the four guys who design and manufacture up to 500 STEELIEs a week . Aluminum rods are manually fed into a 25-year-old machine called Mazak that produces nearly all of STEELIE's various parts. While Mazak works well, it still has its hiccups.
The team tries to outsource labor as little as possible, doing nearly everything in their shop, from assembling to tooling to labeling to packaging.
"The design is such that we make everything so you know that is what I really wanted to prove that you can be profitable and you can get into the customers' hands directly," Vogel said.
Available in an "everything you need" kits or individual parts, users can mix and match any of the pieces to come up with their own ways of using STEELIE.
The rare-earth neodymium magnet that STEELIE uses is strong enough to securely hold a phone or tablet to any metal surface. In fact, once you place the ring socket on the back of your device, you can place it on anything that is metal, such as refrigerators or lockers. Also, the ring socket that you place on your phone contains a silicone friction pad, preventing any unwanted movement.
"Bottom line, we use the best materials and the best craftsmanship which we think keeps us ahead of everyone else," Garcia said.
STEELIE's success attests to this belief. The company has been successful selling its products on an international level, with orders coming in from places all over the world, including Russia, Austria, Hungary and Italy to name a few. STEELIE products are available online, at McGuckin Hardware in Boulder and at select retail outlets.
On Feb. 17, STEELIE will launch its Kickstarter campaign. Kickstarter is one of the world's largest funding platforms for creative products. As an online threshold pledge system, the site gives creatives the opportunity to expose their ideas to the public.
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