Published on December 12th, 2016 | by Sunit Nandi

iClever STINO Review: the nano-tech iPad mount that I will miss

Introduction

Regular readers of the Techno FAQ blog will probably remember that I covered the Kickstarter campaign of a revolutionary product named STINO back in July. STINO is an unique iPad mount that turns any wall, window, or non-porous flat space into a TV spot. STINO iPad mount is revolutionary as it is the first of its kind to leverage nanotechnology to adhere iPads to any flat surface. The tape surface on the mount is comprised of millions of microscopic air cells that create partial vacuums between the tape and the target surface, thus adhering the iPad due to differences in air pressure. The Kickstarter campaign is long over now and was unsuccessful in raising the required funding goal. However, they had promised that all campaign backers and social media influencers would receive a prototype for evaluation. We too were supposed to receive one review sample of the iPad Air version.

I have no idea when it was actually shipped, but the product reached me last week, albeit in a rather damaged packaging. The mount had several scratches on its surfaces and it had creases from too much folding. The postal department of both the sending and receiving nations are to blame for this. I was livid from the callousness. Postal workers and the customs department in India seem to have little or no respect for the parcels they deal with. They also care the least and in many cases are known to steal your imported product if not insured. However, as the postal department had disappointed me several times in the past, I was not even the least surprised.

I took out the mount and noticed that it still functions despite the ‘assaults’ on it. So I went ahead and made a review. Hope you enjoy this one last glance of the revolutionary product before we bid adieu.

Unboxing

The STINO iPad mount comes in a black packaging which is illustrated with the STINO logo, the text “THE WORLD’S FIRST NANO-TECH MOUNTING SOLUTION” and a few features of the product. I’m sorry if the packaging looks ugly, as it was mishandled by the customs and India Post.

Out of the packaging, the STINO iPad mount looks like a simple piece of plastic film with a foam border.

Flipping the iPad mount upside down, we see that the foam is actually a nano-particle suction tape. To get it ready, we remove the cling film sticking to it.

Now that the product is unboxed and ready for use, let’s move on to the usage.

Usage

The STINO iPad mount is extremely easy to use. We need to place the iPad face down into the space between the borders on the mount.

After that, we place it on a flat non-porous surface and apply pressure on the borders, and voila! The iPad is mounted.

Once mounted, the grip is very strong, and the iPad doesn’t slip at all. The suction tape on the borders work as intended even after the fact that the postal department mishandled the package and damaged it to a great extent already. I was pretty surprised.

The plastic film on the mount is of high quality and surprisingly doesn’t bog down the touch sensitivity of the iPad’s touchscreen. It was pretty effortless in navigating the iPad’s UI even after it was mounted.

My friends and I played “Daft Punk – Lose Yourself to Dance” from the YouTube app. The experience was great, with a crystal clear display through the film. However, the scratches on the film (due to damage while shipping) did dampen the experience a bit.

Finally, taking off the mount from the wall or surface is easy too. All we need to do is peel off the mount from the wall a bit, then secure the iPad with fingers before taking off the rest of the mount.

Overall, I was happy with the product. The ease of usage of this iPad mount is next to none compared to any other I’ve used. Moreover the mount is lightweight and made of sturdy materials. Plus, if the mount gets dirty or loses stickiness, a wash and dry is all that is required to restore it to full health.

Summary

Pros

Good quality materials
Lightweight
Transparent film does not hamper touch sesitivity
Suction tape on the border provides a strong grip
Easy to apply and peel off

Cons

None

Conclusion

The STINO iPad mount is probably the best temporary surface mount solution for phones and tablets combined I’ve used till date. The ease of use and experience is second to none. Unfortunately, as I have already mentioned, the Kickstarter funding didn’t reach its required goal. So I’m not expecting the product to be available in the market any time soon. Neither is any other site going to bother reviewing the product even if they have received the test unit. However, I’ve seen that the concept itself has long reaching consequences as it properly demonstrates the application of nano-suction tapes in replacing adhesive tapes. As a science and technology enthusiast, I’m going to miss this product. I’d love to see it released in some other form.

Tags: iClever, iPad, miss, mount, nano-tech, STINO, suction

About the Author

Sunit Nandi I'm the leader of Techno FAQ. Also an engineering college student with immense interest in science and technology. Other interests include literature, coin collecting, gardening and photography. Always wish to live life like there's no tomorrow.