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We are a society deeply tied to our mobile devices. We use them at all hours – at home, on our commute, at work, in meetings and in court, and even in the middle of the night. During the daytime, they reside at our side, whether on our desk or in our pocket just so that we don’t miss important calls and messages from family members, friends, and clients (that is, if you are brave enough to dole out your cell phone number to clients). For my mother, messaging with her children comprises a full-time job; I’m not quite sure how she gets anything else done in the day.
The point here is that it can be distracting to go searching for your device each time you need to use it. To be more efficient in your practice, the solution for this dilemma is a docking platform. While there are a number of docks available for your devices, this article describes one type of dock made for iPhone and iPad users, the HiRise Dock by Twelve South.
The HiRise Dock works with both the iPhone and iPad Mini. It elevates the iPhone or iPad Mini onto its own pedestal to enable optimal viewing. With your iPhone or iPad Mini on this stand, you can stream video, listen to audio, view notifications and messages, and conduct other iOS functions as you would were your device sitting flat on your desk.
Now, there are other docks out there, including Apple’s own iPhone dock, but the HiRise Dock has a few unique functions, including the following:
- Raising the device to an optimal viewing height;
- Fitting a variety of device cases; and
- Enabling access to the headphone port.
The HiRise Dock comes packaged well, but requires some assembly. All tools are included. Fortunately for me, I enjoy this type of task. But, I will warn you that the screws included are quite small and may be difficult to manage for someone with large hands. The box comes with a simple instruction manual, in addition to a QR code with a link to video instructions.
Assembly allows the user to customize the settings for use with or without a case. Depending upon the thickness of your case, you can choose the appropriate clip to fit the bottom of your phone (connecting the lightning adapter) and the proper width to ensure stability. Note: The dock is only compatible with Apple’s lightning adapter, which is not included with the dock. Once you’ve adjusted the clips and width, you can put your tools aside. [Unfortunately, it is not practical to use the dock with different devices and cases on a daily basis, because it would require manipulation of the settings by screwing and unscrewing the parts each time you swap cases and devices. The other aspect that frustrates me is that you cannot easily remove the lighting adapter, say, if you need to take it with you or use it with a different device.]
The look of the dock matches Apple’s sleek look, and thus jives with a minimalist desktop design. With its non-slip rubber bottom, the dock stands solidly on the desk. In using the dock, I found that when my iPhone was docked, it was only a slightly unsteady. Stability can be improved by ensuring that the dock parts are fit snug against your device during assembly. While docked, I was able to type messages and do other iOS tasks. Stability decreased ever so slightly when using it with my iPad mini. I even went so far as to try it with my iPad Air (note: Twelve South does not denote support for iPad Air); at just the right angle it stood upright and charged, but with the slightest movement it toppled over.
The HiRise Dock comes with a price tag of $34.99, which is comparable to Apple’s own docking solution at $29.99. Overall, I’m satisfied with the dock. It does what I need it to do and helps boost efficiency in my work. I would urge you to take a look at the HiRise Dock and other docking solutions for your devices. I assure you that it will make a difference in your productivity.
For additional docking solutions as well as other iOS accessory options, listen to this recent episode of the Legal Toolkit with Jeff Richardson of iPhoneJD.com.
