How Suction Cups Have Infiltrated The Gadget Marketplace

Everywhere you look there are accessoriesthat fasten to Apple products with suction cups. With the increasingly slick design of gadgets and nice shiny smooth surfaces becoming increasingly desirable it makes sense really, the option to simply pop accessories onto your device and pull them off quickly when have finished with them is a perfect fit with the move towards modular technology. Now add-ons can be popped on or off you device in the same way that apps can be added or deleted.

Arguably the simplest product in the whole event, the iTatch is simply a lanyard with an attached suction cup for carrying an iPhone or iPad around your neck. The iTatch's inventor first created the prototype roughly one year ago and would hand them out to customers in his bar. He got some great feedback so he decided to up his efforts and order a large quantity of suction cups and lanyards and moved into producing them on a bigger scale. The Consumer Electronics Show was a great opportunity to promote this item globally. The 4 day show which ended on 9th January brought in close to 150,000 visitors from accross the globe and almost 3000 exhibitors.

Now here's one for the gamers amongst you! The suction cup steering wheel will help you fulfil your fantasies of doing a few laps with Ayrton Senna and satisfy the adrenaline junky inside with the convenience of a portable device that simply sticks to your iPhone or iPod touch. Whether your passion is for riding motorbikes, racing cars or flying spaceships this precisional piece of kit will allow you to dodge anything that gets in your way adding to the reality of the experience. The design is based on a racing steering wheel to help create the illusion of being at the controls of a real performance vehicle. The integral steering column stand adds stability and balance, reducing any unnecessary movement. The stands base fastens to any clean smooth surface via a suction cup and can also be adjusted based on height and angle. The iPhone or iPod Touch (attached to the correct adapter) simply fixes into the centre of the wheel, making this literally plug and play.

January 6th 2011 was also the launch date for the (not too dissimilar) iPad Fling, this clever little miniature joystick simply fixes to your iPad's screen using a suction cup. The iPad Fling attaches over the on screen controls of the iPad and acts as an intermediate device replacing direct interaction with the iPad. Critics have questioned whether this defeats the object of having touch screen which it could be argued is a more effective interface, however, personally being a bit of a fan of nostalgia and remembering how much fun I've had over the years playing games with joysticks I think its a great addition to an excellent device.

Last but certainly not least are a tastefully designed and well made iPad addition called Cool Feet. If you have ever tried to sandwich your iPad between a couple of magazines and the tv remote control, or wedged it between a stapler and a plant pot to try to position it at a suitable angle then you may have realised that it would be a lot easier if the device had pop out feet. This is the niche that Cool Feet fill. Cool feet are 2 legs that stick to the front and 2 slightly longer ones for the rear which attach to the bottom of your iPad to keep it supported at a nice angle. The added benefit is that they prevent your iPad from slipping on your desk. The original purpose of the design was to allow the flow of air around laptops to prevent overheating it's possible that they are even more suited to use with tablets like the iPad where the screen is built into the device and cannot be moved. Just like all of the other accessories that are shown here they can just be popped off when you're not using them and quickly reattached when necessary.

So there's a strange change happening, the humble suction cup ignored by the world of innovation for years is making an unexpected return. Its a great example of reinventing an old product for the modern day, suction cups (in one form or another) have been around for over 2000 years but now in the 21st century they are more helpful than ever before and it's possible that they have only just found their calling. They have been used for years for a variety of different jobs but never really found their true calling, now it seems the humble suction cups meandering existence has finally turned a corner and found their market.