Dutch firm seeks funds to make iPhone case with cup holder [Updated]
[Update 10:13 a.m., Jan. 30: Natwerk says the idea for the cup holder started as a joke but now plans to make it if they receive enough donations.]
Apple’s iPhone is a great device but has one major flaw: no place to hold a coffee cup.
According to Dutch marketing firm Natwerk, choosing between drinking coffee and texting on an iPhone is a major dilemma that causes people to either spill their drinks or drop their devices.
Natwerk says it has a solution -- an iPhone case with a cup holder -- and is seeking funds to make it. It has posted images and a video showcasing the idea on Indiegogo, a crowdsourcing site for project funding.
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In a video that can go toe to toe with any of the best infomercials ever made, Natwerk shows off its “Uppercup.” The case is more than two inches thick, but it has a slide out cup holder that iPhone owners can use while they text with two hands or play a video game. Natwerk says the Uppercup will hold any size cup.
“Drink freely while you tap without spilling coffee on your lap,” a woman’s voice sings in the video’s jingle. “Finally what we’ve been waiting for, the Uppercup will change your world and more.”
The Amsterdam-based agency is seeking to raise $25,000 for the gadget. Users can contribute $25 for an iPhone 4 case, $30 for an iPhone 5 case or $65 for three Uppercup cases for the iPhone 4. Fortunately for consumers who back the project, Natwerk says it expects to deliver the cases by April 2013.
Natwerk has raised only $765 so far, but it still has more than a month left on its Indiegogo campaign.
It’s not clear if this is a publicity stunt for Natwerk or if it is a legitimate business idea. The company is, after all, a marketing firm.
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