MacDirectory magazine is the premiere creative lifestyle magazine for Apple enthusiasts featuring interviews, in-depth tech reviews, Apple news, insights, latest Apple patents, apps, market analysis, entertainment and more.
Issue link: https://digital.macdirectory.com/i/867
56 MacDirectory
CLOSER LOOK
PIVOTAL'S PODIUM > FOR THE ULTIMATE IPHONE EXPERIENCE
"Pivotal, a Procreate Inc. company, de-
signs high quality, innovative and engaging
accessories specifically for Apple's
iPhone." So says their Web site and we are
usually leery of Web site promotions.
Well, if there is a WOW factor in iPhone
accessories, Pivotal has come up with the
ultimate iPhone experience – Podium.
Podium elegantly transforms your iPhone
into a desktop computer and widescreen
entertainment center.
MacDirectory had the chance to speak
with Scott Baumann, entrepreneur and
president of the company.
MacDirectory >
Tell us about Scott
Baumann. Sounds like you are an
entrepreneur and a designer.
Scott Baumann > An entrepreneur by way
of design, I suppose. The gift of design
has given me the ability to bring my ideas
to life, and that's where the entrepreneur
part happens. I'm fortunate to have had
the opportunity and experience of
working within a wide variety of industries
and markets. Offering fresh, relevant,
ideas to new market spaces and breathing
life into them through design is where my
passion lies. Podium is a classic example of
passion driven product development and
my position within Pivotal.
MD >
Tell us about a little about Pivotal
and the goals of the company.
SB > Pivotal is an exciting new company
intensely committed to designing
premium, high quality, innovative and
engaging mobile accessories. The
marriage of touch screen and
accelerometer technologies has defined
the future of mobile communications.
Pivotal designs innovative and unique
accessories that not only enhance user
experience, but these new devices
themselves. Thus the name, Pivot-All.
MD >
Is Podium your first accessory for
the iPhone?
SB > It is, we started working on the
concept of a revolving stand shortly after
Apple's announcement of the iPhone in
2007 and filed our fist patent in October
of that year. It's take awhile to get it right,
but I think you'll agree, we did.
MD >
Put the 3G iPhone in the cradle
here and line everything up. It pivots
sideways or vertical. The icons are easy to
reach and everything is in view. The steel
base has more than enough weight to
make it quite stable. We can visualize just
how useful this will be to any iPhone
user. This frees the user's hands for other
things. We can sit and type this interview
and glance over at e-mail or respond to a
phone call without having to stop except
to push the icon.
SB > The more you use it, the more you're
going to love it and realize just how much
time you spend fiddling with your phone
throughout the day. Even its most basic
use as speaker phone, simply being able
to see who is calling or make a call
without picking up your phone is
incredibly convenient. Watch a movie in
bed from a comfortable position on your
iPhone and you realize that Podium will
forever change how you look at and
interact with your iPhone.
It's been designed and engineered with
extreme attention to every detail, from its
form-fitting soft-snap cradle and smooth
spherical bearing mechanism which
enables you to infinitely the viewing angle.
MD >
Is the Podium just for the iPhone or
does is also work with the iPod touch?
SB > It does, Podium for iPhone 3G works
great for both first and second generation
iPod touch models.
You can find more information on the
Podium at