If you’re a multitasker and use several devices at the same time, you might like the perchiT from Sibme.
Sibme is an EdTech company fro Houston. They developed a content management and collaboration system software with a focus on e-learning. Now they are preparing to launch a hardware clamp to extend their portfolio and improve user productivity further.
Their latest product is called perchiT. In a nutshell, it’s a mechanical device that lets you attach your smartphone on top of your laptop display when it’s open.
Focus of perchiT
This little clip is highly interesting. It might not be cutting-edge technology, but it never claimed to be. It puts your smartphone on top of your laptop display and right in front of you. That lets you do calls, watch videos, record videos, use apps without even looking down. I think the focus area of perchiT is in classrooms. Home or office use could be possible, but they don’t make such a strong case.
Think you’re a student and you videotape a lecture with your smartphone as you type your notes into your laptop. If you’re using software help, you can even sync and map all the information, so they make sense later on during study. I think the quality of such a video recording would strongly depend on the stability of your laptop though. Perhaps you’ll have a shaky video if you record while typing on a small laptop. You should try that out first.
The default perchiT seems to keep your smartphone in a horizontal view. Statements like, “portrait clamp sold separately” led me to believe you will not be able to rotate your phone around. You might need a different version clamp for that use.
Being a journalist myself, I could also see this being used by reporters who need to record footage as they draft their news report. Perhaps the perchiT will be part of your equipment in the future.
Second screen or not?
Checking into their Kickstarter campaign, I first thought the perchiT device would be a video solution that extended your laptop’s active display to your smartphone. With a title like, “a mobile second screen for your laptop” people might get the wrong impression of what the solution is about.
The perchiT is not a second screen for your laptop. This device is made to hold your smartphone for better productivity. If you want to extend the display of your laptop, you’ll need a third-party solution such as Air Display, iDisplay, or Splashtop.
Summary
Looking past the slightly confusing marketing of the product. The perchiT seems like a reliable solution for attaching your smartphone to your laptop. It would be great if you could rotate the mounted phone from a horizontal view to portrait view, but perhaps that’s something for version two.
The estimated retail price of the perchiT is $34.95. That feels a little high for a purely mechanical clamp without rotation function, but if you’re in the focus group, you might be able to accept that for the productivity improvement it gives you in return.
What do you think? Let us know in the comment section below!
YouTube: Clip Your Smartphone on Your Laptop with perchiT by Sibme
Photo credit: Sibme
