GADGETS & GLAMOUR; New Capabilities Breed New Accessories

New Capabilities Breed New Accessories
By BOB TEDESCHI, New York Times

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May 4, 2005

FOR years, pundits foresaw a PC-centric future for all digital devices, a technotopia described in a single buzzword: convergence. Perhaps nowhere is this more apparent than on the cellphone front, where gadgets and services previously known in other domains are fighting for a spot next to mobile dial pads. Here is a sample of what is new, and what is next, for the dialed-in.

CELLPOD -- Camera phones are just bad enough that users generally do not care how well they frame a self-portrait or group shot in which they want to be included. But with two- and three-megapixel camera phones working their way toward the American market, users will likely be more demanding of such shots -- and that's a problem, because it is easier to make an egg sit up straight than a cellphone.

Enter the Cellpod, from Joy Innovations, a two-ounce collapsible tripod that attaches to the belt clips sold with most cellphones. ''As users replace their digital camera with their cellphone camera, they'll want to have accessories to which they've become accustomed,'' said Greg Joy, the chief executive of Joy Innovations. The device, which was introduced in March, is selling briskly, he said.

As with conventional tripods, the Cellpod tilts at various angles to help photographers set the shot. But since the device's legs are a mere two inches long, users will need a high surface on which to prop it. And because most cellphones have their speaker-phone function at the bottom of the device, the Cellpod provides a good platform for hands-free speaker-phone use, too.

Cost: $24.95. joyinnovations.com.