Apple's iSight is the webcam component of the iLife suite, and
it's a cool little piece of hardware, but the mounting clips provided
by Apple leave something to be desired in terms of mounting
flexibility. At times Apple's hardware leaves you with no ideal way
to position your iSight the way you want it situated.
That's where the new SightFlex
adjustable iSight mounting stand from MacMice comes in. SightFlex is
essentially a six-and-a-half foot long USB cable with the first 20"
running coaxially inside a flexible metal gooseneck similar to
old-fashioned gooseneck lamps (I have one by my bed) that can be
grabbed and twisted any way you want with the happy characteristic of
holding its shape when bent and staying the way you put it.
A
surprisingly heavily weighted hemispheric base attached to the satin
chrome-plated gooseneck makes sure the camera stays in the desired
position and orientation, as long as you keep the iSight's center of
gravity within 6" or so of the SightFlex base. Fully extended, the
SightFlex gooseneck is more than 20" tall - enough to "see" over the
top of a 23" Apple Cinema Display.
The iSight mounts to the SightFlex by simply plugging the six pin
USB connector at the top of the gooseneck into the iSight's USB
socket.
You
can use a SightFlex-mounted iSight beside a display, peeking over a
display or PowerBook, peeking around a display or PowerBook, squished
down in a coil, twisted in a knot, or even peeking out from under an
Apple Cinema or Studio LCD display.
The SightFlex has a solid, quality look and feel. The gooseneck
seems robust, with just the right balance between stiffness and
flexibility, and the USB cable is thickly insulated with clear
plastic over the silver braided shielding.
SightFlex's weighted base is finished in metallic silver, which
will nicely match both the iSight and Apple's metal PowerBooks. Its
hemispherical shape is an homage to the flat panel iMac.
The bottom of the base is finished with a smooth plastic
appliqué that won't scratch your desk or table.
I really couldn't find much to complain about with the SightFlex.
There was a small dent in the base of the test unit when it arrived,
but I expect that is not typical.
SightFlex sells for $29.99.