Get a grip on portable devices

02:04 PM CST on Thursday, March 17, 2005

By WALT ZWIRKO / WFAA-TV

As portable devices like cell phones, music players and personal digital assistants get smaller and sleeker, they also seem to get more slippery.

And few things will lighten your wallet like a wireless phone that squirts out of your hand, hits the floor and becomes an unrepairable relic of the information age.

The folks at Fort Worth-based egrips offer some inexpensive peace of mind.

Their product is a thin, rubbery (it's actually silicone-based) applique designed to make your mobile device less likely to go flying.

Egrips are available in a variety of pre-cut styles for many cell phones, PDAs and iPods. I received a sample (in the "Safari" color scheme) for my Audiovox SMT5600 wireless phone.

Installation is a snap. The instructions recommend first using the included cleaning pads to swipe the surface of the device. This cleans away any greasy fingerprints, dust and dirt.

Then just peel off the backing of the pre-cut egrips and press into place.

For my unit, there were four pieces: two on the back and one strip along each side.

I'm surprised at how much more secure my phone feels in my hand after this simple addition. While the phone can still be easily removed from its carrying case, the egrips keep it from sliding around on a slippery desk.

The tacky backing can even keep the phone from sliding off an inclined shelf or a dashboard, but I don't recommend keeping your phone on the dashboard of a moving vehicle. Even with egrips, it could easily become a projectile in an emergency stop.

Custom-cut egrips are available for 299 different cell phones, 23 MP3 players, and a variety of other portable devices in a variety of colors and designs; most are priced at $9.95.

Do-it-yourself universal egrips are available for mobiles that aren't on the list.

They won't protect your device from all possible harm, but egrips are an inexpensive insurance policy.

E-mail askwalt@wfaa.com