14 March 2011 – 14 March 2024, a birthday (¹) which does not fall round, but a performance worth saluting ! What was just a Startup in the early days of the use of tablets and smartphones in navigation is now a company with a long history (²). Dominique Gauthier, its founder and manager, has participated for more than ten years in securing our iPads by becoming the exclusive importer for France of the famous cases aiShell (Originally “iPad Case”). Designed and manufactured in Germany, Waterproof and robust properties that no longer need to be demonstrated, with a wide range of supports and accessories to meet all needs at sea. Read more …
Label : protection
Heat wave ? How to refrigerate your iPad
My friends Christiane and Jochen Lührs are the proud owners of a superb classic ketch German building, Socorro, with which they regularly cross the west European coasts. Fully built of solid woodin 1951, they maintain her with meticulous care, after many navigations from Norway to Scotland, and Europe to the West Indies.
In stopover a few days ago in Vannes, I had the great pleasure to visit them. I knew Jochen when he was the German translator of iNavX, now a fan of Weather4D. I finally got to visit their magnificent boat, which attracted more than a glance along the quay, with its perfect polish, its gleaming stainless steel, its masts Spruce, and impressive wheelhouse. I have also discovered an amazing invention… Read more …
iPadNav.fr becomes iTabNav.fr
The 14 March 2011 I had announce the opening of an e-commerce website focused in accessories, mounts and connexion devices dedicated to iPhone and iPad for marine navigation : iPadNav.fr. Since then, its founder and I have maintained a close collaboration, our complementary actions to make an effective response to all new users of these wonderful tools suitable for nautical activities. Many of you were able to meet me on several occasions on his stand, both the Grand Pavois de La Rochelle and the Paris Nautic boat show.
After three years of existence, Dominique Gauthier company has grown considerably, at the point of wanting to expand its offer to other users than boating : outdoor sports, hiking, trekking, fitness, and all the leisure time activities for which many targeted applications are now available, so much for Apple devices than for the market growth of Android devices.
Thus, iPadNav has announced in a press release the change of name of its website in iTabNav.fr July 1 2014, in a desire to open his offers to all useful accessories for tablets and smartphones, regardless of brand or operating system, and for all leisure activities.
Hope that this new extended offering meet the same success as for leisure boating and sailing, because iTabNav.fr will offer on a unique french website of the specialized products scattered on multiple foreign websites. With service and a local french support as a bonus.
Protections for iPad (4)
I've already written the greatest good that I think about waterproof casesaiShell by Andres Industrie for iPad(¹). It remains for me the top of the protection in all weather conditions, at sea and ashore. Bulky and quite expensive, certainly, but added to the cost of an iPad will always remain 3 up to 5 times cheaper than a chartplotter for navigation, therefore useless for anything else. iPad, itself, continue to serve you home, and prepare future trips.
I can not resist the urge to spread this video by Dominique Gauthier during our trip to the Balearic this summer. For iPadNav not only sell accessories, he tests it ! Used as test our many tablets taken on board for three weeks cruise, No worry !
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(¹) Protections for iPad (2).
The aiShell waterproof case for iPad Mini
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The aiShell waterproof case for iPad Mini
This time, it came up ! The new waterproof case for iPad Mini by Andres Industries, to whom we owe the famous iPad Case, is finally available.
Smaller, lighter, more discreet, but equally robust, it is ideal for protecting your iPad Mini on boat, on beach, under the rain or in the desert (¹). With this funny name " aiShell " , literally "Shell Andres Industries", The manufacturer offers a box containing all the tricks of the big brother for iPad : a waterproof power connector, windows for cameras, adaptation to existing REM mounts. He even added two retractable legs for easy use on a flat surface. A very German design. Read more …
Protections for iPad (3)
In an issue dated 19 March 2011 I mentioned the announcement of an iPad waterproof case by the young company LifeProof. It took a year and a half to see the outcome of this case. We must understand that the rapid succession of iPad models, mostly radical form between iPad 1 and 2, has not prompted the company to rush to launch its first design protection. Read more …
Protections for iPad (2)
I presented in the first entry about protections for iPad onboard the water-resistant case by Andres Industries (*). This manufacturer has responded quickly to comments and criticisms of its product. He was kind enough to send me to test their new case, modified and improved. True happiness ! Read more …
Protections for iPad on boat
IPad is not watertight, we know. Apple has not designed for that purpose, one suspects. The creative genius of Steve Jobs has certainly not been to imagine that sailors would use the tablet as a chartplotter and get it over the oceans ! (¹)
But voila : we decided to take with us this equipment at sea, beach, desert, in a pool, and why not in the ISS (²), isn't it ?
It was therefore necessary that accessories manufacturers, and there are many for Apple devices, We produce protection against salt, water, sand and all external aggression that can damage our iPad.
After my post about mounts adapted to the boat, here's a quick overview of the various protections available on the market. Read more …
iTabNav.fr
This is an excellent initiative that we owe to Dominique Gauthier : iTabNav.fr is a new French e-commerce website mainly dedicated to iPad (and iPhone) accessories useful in’marine usage of these devices.
Rather than looking on Google for e-commerce websites overseas, you can now go to a French specialized website. Dominique Gauthier did not hesitate to raise my opinions on the technical aspects of his choice of accessories, being himself user and boater.
iTabNav.fr has been open for a few days, his catalog is gradually enriched, I welcome his initiative and wish him good luck.
iPad , cases and mounts for yachting[Update]
In my first entry about the iPad used as a chart-plotter, I mentioned two or three essential accessories to handle on board. The mounting remained unresolved, few products was then available.
On board a boat, sailing as motor, the mount must meet several essential requirements :
- A robust fixation, the test vessel motions can be violent in the bad weather. The iPad should absolutely not be able to win its support.
- One possible direction in both portrait and landscape with locking position.
- Fixation the smallest footprint possible for small boats : charts table increasingly reduced, deck-house cluttered with instruments, etc,.
- Ability to move easily iPad.
I leave aside for the moment the question of waterproof that, to date, is fully resolved only by heavy and bulky boxes (OtterBox, Andres). Some mounts seem suited to yachting, followed by a "home" installation by experienced handymen. This may give you some ideas…
[Update 28/01/2013]
Read more …