Pioneer Press, St. Paul, Minn., Julio Ojeda-Zapata column

Source: Pioneer Press, St.儲存 Paul, Minn.July 13--Minnesotans craving distinctive and innovative accessories for their iPhones, iPads and iPod Touch portable media players need not look beyond this state's borders.Two Minnesota companies, Bracketron and Pocket Hercules, have joined the dozens of other local firms that have added to the vast iOS-accessory ecosystem in recent years.Edina-based Bracketron has begun selling the NanoTek stand, a minimal slab of bent aluminum with nothing to hold up an iPhone or iPad mini but a small, square-ish sticky pad. The stand has made waves in the tech world since it seems to hold the gadget aloft as if by magic.Pocket Hercules is targeting iPhone- and iPod Touch-toting children with the Awesimals, a line of cartoon-style cases. These come to life via a cartoon-animated Awesimals app.NanoTek and Awesimals are attempts to solve nagging consumer problems.The stand partly caters to iPhone aficionados who recently upgraded from the iPhone 4 to the iPhone 5. Since the phones use different connector technologies for syncing and charging, the new Apple phone rendered useless countless iPhone 4 docks and stands, and caused considerable annoyance.The NanoTek technology, invented by Oklahoma-based 1.0 Innovations and licensed by Bracketron, doesn't play favorites. Virtually any phone or small tablet can be adhered to that sticky pad. The corresponding charging and syncing cable is then poked through a slot in the metal stand and plugged into the device.The standoriginally rose to fame online as a Kickstarter campaign that netted 1.0 Innovations $91,187 on a goal of $20,000. In what has become a popular move for established tech firms, Bracketron then swooped in to license the technology without preventing 1.0 from selling its own versions, known as SETA Smartphone Stands.Bracketro新蒲崗迷你倉 offers many other mobile-device docks, stands and other add-ons of its own.Pocket Hercules' Jason Smith got the idea for the Awesimals cases after taking an air trip with his two iPod Touch-using children. He sat between them on the aircraft, holding one device in each hand for the kids' video-viewing convenience.The intentionally bulky and self-balancing Awesimals protectors are aimed at making kids self-reliant while thrilling them with wacky cartoon styling. Eight Awesimals characters are available as cases for the iPhone 4, iPhone 4S and certain versions of the iPod Touch.The Awesimals app adds a bit of cartoon-animated mischief -- it audibly parrots any sentence or phrase uttered in its presence.Pocket Hercules, based in Minneapolis, is an unorthodox iOS-accessory creator. As an advertising agency, it is normally responsible for championing its clients' products.But the agency hasregularly dabbled in consumer-product creation. Past efforts include coffee and beer.Smith, Pocket Hercules' art director, said internal product lines give the company a stable revenue stream while letting it view the spawning and championing of such products from a client's point of view.The internal products have other benefits, said Stephen Dupont, vice president of public relations. They help attract and impress potential clients, as well as agency employees.Other Minnesota companies that have created and manufactured stand-out tech-device accessories include Byrd & Belle, Landmark & Lions, Pad & Quill, Duluth Pack, Nedrelow, ColorWare, Aerostitch, Canopy, Twig Case Co., and a trio of St. Paul companies, Arctic Flight, J.W. Hulme Co. and RobbieMoto.Copyright: ___ (c)2013 the Pioneer Press (St. Paul, Minn.) Visit the Pioneer Press (St. Paul, Minn.) at www.twincities.com Distributed by MCT Information Servicesmini storage