One part of the holidays that most people dread is traveling. Here is a travel gadget that we think you will like and will help you get through that dreaded holiday travel, the GoGoStand! It is a great travel accessory that holds your iPhone or your favorite gadget that is similarly sized while you watch videos. We think the GoGoStand will be a great gift for those gadget lovers and perfect for Arizona holiday travel.
What sets the GoGoStand apart from other stands is that you can fold it up and keep it in your wallet. Check out the video here. The GoGoStand really is the size of a credit card and easily folds up flat to fit in your wallet. After using the stand for a while, I have to say that I really enjoy it! It would be nice to have one in the office and one for travel. I also recently flew on a plane and was constantly trying to figure out where to hold my iPhone so that I could watch a video. The GoGoStand would definitely have made the holiday flight easier. If you want to see more reviews, check out the Facebook Fan Page.
A few last points about the GoGoStand 1. It comes in multiple colors 2. It costs $4.99 ( this includes shipping!) 3. There is a 1 year warranty and 4. Watch the video before you put it together. I was very exited to get one and I put it together and then I was sitting there wondering why it didn’t work holding the phone vertically. Duh! I had it put together backwards. It is definitely not hard to figure out, but it works better when you have it put together the right way!
Dean Liou, the creator of the GoGoStand, was gracious enough to answer some questions for us. (Thanks for your time Dean!) Here’s the interview:
Q: How did you come up with the idea of the GoGoStand?
A: Sometime back in September 2008, I came up with the idea for the iPhone Paper Clip Stand (youtube it!). It was created out of necessity. What made it so great was that it was FREE (love that word). What made it NOT so great was that you couldn’t really take it with you in a pocket or purse without a) messing it up b) it messing you up or c) both. So a few weeks later, I came up with a prototype design of the GoGoStand. Lots of grocery store club cards and expired credit cards were cut up and sacrificed in the pursuit of the perfect design. I believe that the GoGoStand is the best and simplest use given the constraints I set for myself. (must be plastic, must be size of credit card).
Q: Are there any variations in the works – different material or models?
A: Yes! In the very near future, a Christmas print designed GoGoStand will be available. I’m also searching for a cheaper, thinner material for GoGoStands so they can be sold in bulk for use as business cards and tradeshow giveaways.
Q: What do you consider the best feature of the GoGoStand?
A: The GoGoStand’s best feature is what I worked hardest on: Making it simple and sturdy (ok, that’s 2 features). In the process of designing the GoGoStand, I came up with LOTS of designs. Some required origami skills, others required house-of-cards-balancing acts. GoGoStand in its final form today is SIMPLE and that’s what I think makes it so great. Once someone sees the GoGoStand set up, they just “get it.” Some criticize that the $4.99 price tag is too steep. I’ve seen people commenting online, “$5 for that piece of plastic? I can cut that out myself with an xacto knife.” That’s totally true; you COULD cut that out yourself. However, it’s important to realize that the GoGoStand’s design didn’t just appear out of thin air and that it took a lot of thought, experimentation and starting over and over to get to this point.
Q: How does it perform on a plane? Does turbulence knock it over and if so have you found a remedy for this?
A: The GoGoStand passes with “flying” colors (groan). Unless the plane performs an airshow maneuver, the GoGoStand will pretty much stay put. It might slide around a bit, but it’s not going to keel over when you’re watching a movie in landscape mode on a bumpy plane ride. We could have some sort of rubber feet embedded in the GoGoStand to prevent sliding around, but then it wouldn’t be as easy to slip in and out of the credit card slot in your wallet. It’d be a nice addition, but would also raise manufacturing costs.
Q: What is the expected life for a GoGoStand? Does the plastic wear out?
A: With normal use, even daily use, I expect the GoGoStand to easily outlast your AT&T wireless contract. And no, the plastic doesn’t wear out. Even though the GoGoStand is the size and shape of a credit card, the GoGoStand is not made out of the same material as a credit card. It’s made of different, more flexible plastic. It’s not brittle like credit card plastic and doesn’t easily tear or crack. I guarantee the GoGoStand’s durability for 1 year. If it breaks within a year of your purchase, send it back to me and I’ll replace it free of charge.
Q: What are your favorite travel gadgets?
A: Other than the GoGoStand, right? 
1. My iPhone. Last time we went on a trip, I didn’t bother bringing my laptop.
2. My pocket camera. Panasonic TZ-5 (also used to record the GoGoStand videos for youtube). Ok, it’s no DSLR (don’t own one), but it’s got a nice big lens for great low-light photos and HD video recording with autofocus while recording.
3. Bugaboo Bee baby stroller. Hmm, that’s a big gadget. This stroller sets up and breaks down in seconds, is also really easy to push around even with one hand.
4. For road trips: iPhone windshield mount. If mine broke today, I’d have a new one set up the very same night.
5. Spare contact lens cases included with the Costco 2-pack Alcon Opti-Free contact lens solution. Bear with me here; I can’t believe I almost forgot this. These spare contact lens cases are great for both me and the missus. They are water-tight and big enough to store makeup, hair gel, shaving gel, and medicines. Saves you from having to bring entire cans of product for a 3-day trip! Sure, you could pick up travel-sized products from Target, but where’s the fun in that? Just remember to label the cases with a sharpie so you don’t put shaving gel in your hair and hair gel on your face We’ve collected so many of these over the years that we have to store them in a plastic bag under the bathroom sink.
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