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Mobile Minute: DIY cradle from cardboard coffee sleeve
It's amazing how expensive cradles are for mobile devices. Most users realize that there is a big premium being charged for what amounts to a formed piece of plastic, and it makes them less likely to pony up the big bucks for a device that holds their phone. Luckily, this is an area where a little DIY creativity can help.
A Download Squad tipster pointed us to their YouTube video describing how to take a cardboard coffee cup sleeve and with a few careful cuts, turn it into a perfectly serviceable cradle for holding a mobile device in landscape orientation. The video could have been shorter, but it is very well put together. I've embedded the video after the jump at the end of this post.
Alternatively, there is an iPhone dock papercraft project that Lifehacker pointed to that is a little more complicated, but results in a cradle that can hold an iPhone in landscape or portrait orientation, and allows you to plug in your iPhone's sync cable while in portrait orientation.
Is it worth skimping on a cradle and trying to make it yourself, or are you willing to pay the premium that hardware makers charge for their sturdier versions? Do you know of a different set of DIY cradle plans? Let us know in the comments.
Comments
5
Subscribe to commentsCamOct 12th 2009 1:27PM
Well, I'm still using a Handspring Visor, so the dock it came with is just fine for me.
Yes, I do have a cell phone. it's an LG enV, with crap battery life.
Victor Agreda JrOct 12th 2009 1:45PM
I don't suppose if you made a stand out of a potato for that LG it would charge the battery, eh? ;-)
CamOct 12th 2009 1:54PM
No, I don't think that would work, haha.
8complexOct 12th 2009 1:48PM
Note: card stock is not enough, you need REAL thick paper, almost like thin, single-layer cardboard. The back curved section tends to fold under the weight.
drhidingOct 12th 2009 5:07PM
Use one of those silly daily desk calander stands. They work great and once you have gone through all the dilbert cartoons for the year is won't end up in a landfill. You can actually start using it before the year is up. It folds flat so nicely.