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 : support
iPadNav.fr devient 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.
Simple and original mount for iPad
Serge Rousseau, a Canadian sailor, sent me some pictures of the installation of its iPad on his yacht. He wrote me :
"I send you some pictures of the support. I fixed an industrial Velcro on the stainless steel tube and I maintain waterproof case (+or- 50 €) with reusable fasteners (tie wrap). You can also use a waterproof envelope used to protect kayak cards and fix it with velcro and reusable fasteners. "
For an economical solution, I find it simple, clever and aesthetic enough for my own opinion. You decide…
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 …