XFLEX tablet accessory created, made in Tulsa by 1.0 Innovations LLC
BY ROBERT EVATT World Staff Writer
Thursday, December 13, 2012
12/13/12 at 4:12 AM
See how Tulsa stays on the cutting edge
Accessories for smartphones and tablets are plentiful and everywhere.
Yet XFLEX stands out for being one of the few that were created in Tulsa - and are manufactured here as well.
The XFLEX, made by 1.0 Innovations LLC and sold for $99, is a sturdy stand that combines an X-shaped aluminum stand topped with lightweight foam with a bendable arm.
The arm is tipped with a suction cup with a tacky surface, so potentially any tablet or smartphone could fit as long as it has a flat area, said George Bashaw, owner of 1.0 Innovations.
The XFLEX's other advantage is that its design allows for plenty of different uses, he said.
"Most tablet stands only serve a single purpose," he said. "The XFLEX will work on a desk, in a bed, or even outside if you want to film and improve your golf swing."
Bashaw said a quadriplegic woman has the XFLEX installed on her wheelchair so she can more easily manipulate the tablet with a stylus.
The accessory was created by Jamin Johnson last year, but Bashaw purchased the concept in September due in part to his belief that the market for accessories will continue to grow.
"The tablet market is huge," he said. "Sixty million of them were sold last year, and the number sold this year should be double."
Bashaw estimates he has sold 2,500 XFLEXs since he bought the company, with half of them going overseas.
Most of the sales are being made online, although local stores edit. and Style Lab carry the XFLEX.
Unlike most tech accessories that outsource their manufacturing, all XFLEXs are machined and assembled by Bashaw and three employees in a facility near Jones Riverside Airport, he said.
The short-term goal for the XFLEX is to keep increasing the volume of sales, which would decrease the manufacturing costs and further strengthen the company, Bashaw said.
But 1.0 Innovations is already working on new products.
"We're going to make some XFLEXs with a wooden inlay, and we're designing a smaller one for smaller tablets," he said.
Original Print Headline: Stand & deliver
Robert Evatt 918-581-8447
robert.evatt@tulsaworld.com
Associated Images:
George Bashaw, owner of 1.0 Innovations LLC, displays his company's Tulsa-made tablet computer accessory Wednesday. JOHN CLANTON / Tulsa World
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