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Introducing STRUT Launchport Luxury iPad Cases With Wireless Charging Pedestals.







STRUT, the world leader in automotive fashion products, has teamed with its sister company Launchport, the leader in iPad wireless charging systems, to create the STRUT Launchport.



The newly established STRUT LaunchPort line includes iPad protective cases in designer and custom finishes (all shown in this post). These hand-crafted cases turn iPads into distinctive, personal luxury style statements.

The Cases
The elegant new iPad cases mate with wireless pedestals that charge the iPad whenever it is docked. True to STRUT’s luxury automotive heritage, the charging pedestals are hand-crafted from jewelry grade stainless steel and are triple chrome-plated.



Blending customization and technological innovation, the new cases attach to the pedestal using strong neodymium magnets that provide a secure mounting solution, even if accidentally bumped or knocked. The LaunchPort inductive charging system begins charging the iPad as soon as the sleeve is docked, eliminating the need for external cables.

The Five Standard Case Options

Black Carbon Fiber and White Pearl Carbon Fiber:


Each STRUT LaunchPort iPad case is precisely and skillfully crafted. The exquisite walnut burl, carbon fiber and leopard print finishes are the result of an elaborate, multi-step finishing process that produces a beautifully detailed appearance. A gloss or silk-touch finish is then applied over the base and handpolished.

Silk Touch Leopard Print and Glossy Burled Walnut:

Sparkle Pink:


The Seven Special-order Finishes

Blue Carbon Fiber and Supercar Sparkle Red:

Tangerine and Mint:

Antiqued Bronze and Rose Gold finishes:

Milled Titanium finish:

The special-order finishes require six to eight weeks for delivery.

The Pedestals
Each of the three STRUT LaunchPort is individually crafted from hand-welded, hand-polished, jewelry-grade stainless steel. Using a small-batch, triple-layer process, the sphere and base are then chromed and buffed to produce an exceptionally durable, beautiful and timeless luster.

The Matte Black and Gloss White spheres are powder-coated and baked in a kiln, resulting in a finish with classic beauty that will endure for years to come.



“This is a truly innovative accessory that blends a practical and convenient iPad charging technology with the timeless quality and elegant finishes of a luxury product,” explains James Peterson, STRUT LaunchPort Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “Through the design and development of our luxury automotive grilles, wheels and accessories, we’ve gained a thorough understanding of what the luxury consumer desires. These new iPad products precisely address that demand.”



The Technology
Based on the revolutionary LaunchPort™ inductive charging technology, the STRUT LaunchPort system provides a convenient, wireless means to charge and use your iPad®.



The inductive charging circuitry transfers power from the elegant pedestal to the stylish case, charging your iPad without the need for cumbersome wires and connectors. Simply placing the iPad case on the pedestal automatically begins the charging process.



Powerful neodymium magnets secure the case to the pedestal. The spherical base rotates, tilts, and pivots to any desired angle. The iPad case utilizes an audio waveguide system to route sound from the rear-facing iPad speaker forward, producing greater volume and increasing clarity over a stand-alone iPad.

The case is easily removed for travel or remote iPad usage and a mini-USB cable is included with the system to allow easy charging of your iPad separate from the base station.

The Price and Details

The STRUT LaunchPort system, which will initially feature five standard and seven custom order case finish options as well as three pedestal finishes, will be offered at $1,250 for a complete system, which includes a pedestal, case and accessories.

Cases and pedestals can be purchased separately to create a multitude of mix-and-match combinations. The STRUT LaunchPort system is scheduled to become available for purchase in mid-September, in anticipation of the upcoming gift giving season.



A wall-mounted port (shown above) is also available using the same beautiful STRUT LaunchPort Case that pairs with the base station. The WallStation uses inductive charging and magnetic mounting technologies, ensuring that your iPad is secure and wirelessly charging.

The STRUT LaunchPort Case rotates 360 degrees in the WallStation, transforming your wall into an information center, photo gallery, video conferencing center, and anything else you can imagine.

About STRUT and LaunchPort
Launched in 2002, STRUT crafts and markets an extensive family of grilles, wheels and “jewelry” to an audience of automotive aficionados demanding elegance and individuality. Established in 2010 LaunchPort manufactures and markets wireless iPad charging technology that employs a revolutionary inductive charging system that negates the need for the need for external cables.



Visit STRUT LaunchPort to learn more.

The Astounding Range Of Creative Talent Known As Rankin.




John Rankin Waddell, who is better known by the sole name of Rankin, is a very busy and talented man. Having photographed everyone from the Queen of England to the Queen of Pop, Rankin is often seen as a celebrity photographer, but his talents and repertoire go way beyond portraiture.


above: one of Rankin's more unusual self-portraits

Publishing, direction, film production, commercial photography, charity work, digital art and encouraging new emerging talent are just some of his many accomplishments. Despite all those impressive ventures, it his his enormous range of photographic work to which I find myself drawn.



A chameleon when it comes to style, technique and mood (okay, so he does seem to have a thing for loose and blowing hair), this skilled creative can shoot fashion, beauty, hair, editorial and photo-journalistic work, and of course, portraits. He imbues his work with ambiance ranging from studio sterile to alleyway grungy and moods ranging from romantic to macabre. There is hardly anything he can't photograph beautifully.



Throughout this post are 27 various photographs I culled from different projects of his that I find compelling and, hopefully, convey a small part of his astounding range.




















Rankin made his name in publishing, founding the seminal monthly magazine Dazed & Confused with Jefferson Hack in 1992 and in late 2000, Rankin published the heteroclite quarterly Rank, an experimental anti-fashion magazine celebrating the unconventional.

In 2001, Jefferson and Rankin went on to launch AnOther Magazine and then in 2005 AnOther Man was introduced.

His first major worldwide and award-winning campaign – Dove’s ‘Real Women’ – epitomized his approach: to reveal the honesty of the connection and collaborative process between photographer and subject.

In 2010 Rankin celebrated Dazed & Confused’s 20th anniversary, shooting 20 front covers of Dazed favorites and 20 inside covers of the next generation of talent, all for the December 2011 issue.


above: one of his 20 Dazed covers in 2010

With Oxfam, he visited the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Kenya, and in 2011 hosted an Oxglam exhibition, featuring work from some of the world’s most talented emerging young photographers, and raising money for the charity.

In 2011, Rankin Film Productions was born. Rankin developed a taste for film directing music videos, commercials, and short films with co-director Chris Cottam between 2002 and 2009, including their debut feature film, the award-winning The Lives of Saints. He continues to direct independently on both commercial and personal projects.

Taking on the new role of Executive Producer, Rankin recently founded Collabor8te, in association with The Bureau and Dazed TV.

In November 2011, Rankin simultaneously launched The Hunger Magazine and the Hungertv.com website with a unique focus on video content – fashion films, behind the scenes footage and exclusive performances, collaborations, and interviews. The Hunger is both a personal creative feat and a launch pad for other talent to step into the breach.

Rankin has published over 30 books, is regularly exhibited in galleries around the world, and has recently opened galleries in London and Los Angeles.


above: his Los Angeles Gallery, RANKIN LA
Always interested in the democratization of the image, Rankin undertook the biggest project of his career – Rankin Live, the culmination of the accessibility and speed of modern photography.


above: John Rankin Waddell, self-portrait

Rankin lives in London with his wife; model, actress, and art director, Tuuli Shipster and son, Lyle.

RANKIN

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