• WHAT: A simple solution to keep your phone handy
• WHY: Phones slide around in cars, get lost in purses or become unguided missiles when stopping short
• COST: About $10

My first cell phone was a genuine honker.  It came in two parts - a big box for the trunk a smaller “control head” that looked like the receiver part of a landline phone mounted in the car, usually on the transmission hump or the console.  The box was about the size of one of today’s microwave ovens and the control head about the size of a desk telephone.  Cables and assorted connectors between the two meant that in order to install the two parts the rear seats of the car had to be pulled out, carpet lifted and wires run everywhere (including to the rear window or trunk lid for the mounted antenna - remember those?).  In other words, it was a mess.

It’s no secret that today’s 4-ounce cell phone packs more power than most computers more than just a few years old.  I can do more on my iPhone than I could on a laptop five years ago and wound up with tendonitis from carrying the laptop on too many trips around the world.  (Actually, the problem wasn’t thecarrying of the laptop - it was the way that I was lifting it.  A little tip for all of you road warriors out there: when you pick up your laptop bag, don’t leave your arm straight out with your elbox locked - keep the elbow bent so that the strain is absorbed by your bicep, not your tendon, and you’ll avoid the same dumb problem that I had.)

My phone fits in my pocket - any pocket - with barely a bulge.  You’d think, then, that I’d be able to find a spot for it in my cars that would be convenient and wouldn’t cause much of a bulge either, but it’s been a real battle.  I’ve tried every conceivable mount, bracket, skid-proof pad and other gizmo and they all stink.  They’re bulky, require way too much effort to install and use and break half the time after just a few months.  I finally gave up and just laid the phone down on the console but realized what a lousy idea that was after it almost whacked my wife in the head when I came to a short stop one time.  That thing needed to be secured - and fast.

I searched for a while and came across a product that I thought looked way too hokey (they have those cringe-inducing infomercial-type ads on TV) and cost too little to really work.  But, I figured, for $15, I’ve certainly wasted a lot more money on a lot worse products.  Wow, am I glad I found the “Cell Station” magnetic cell phone holder.  This thing is a gem and my only regret in buying it is that I didn’t find it five years ago.  It comes in two parts, takes about five minutes to install in both the car and on the phone and is completely removable if you are leasing your car, want to sell your phone, etc.

Anyone who reads these posts regularly knows that I take great pains not to cover the iPhone’s aesthetics with a lot of hokey covers, clips or other assorted paraphernalia that would take away from its wonderful design.  The Cell Station adds a simple, slim, almost invisible (especially on the black iPhone that I’ve got) magnetic strip to the back of the phone.  It goes on in a flash by just peeling the backing off the double-coated tape and sticking it to the back of the phone.  (In my case I actually stuck it to the Invisible Shield that’s covering my entire phone but the effect is the same.)  It’s about half the width of a credit card and virtually disappears into your phone once it’s mounted.

The magnet that gets mounted on the dash of your car (or the console or wherever) is about 1.5″ square and about 1/4″ thick.  It’s pretty unobtrusive.  It infortunately comes standard with some gold etching on it that looks like a mini-cellphone keypad and I hated the way that that looked in my nice car, so I remedied that with a couple of 1″ strips of black electrical tape.  (The company’s literature says that custom printing is available in multiple colors; I think it would make a pretty nice convention or corporate promo item.)  Now there’s a nearly-invisible black magnet on my dash that holds my phone incredibly securely in a perfect position for me to see who’s calling, select from a list of numbers to call (which I really do try to do while the car is stopped).

This was almost too easy.  After I got the magnet mounted in a good spot on the dash (that probably took more time than the entire remainder of the installation process) and put the peel-and-stick strip on the back of the phone my first reaction was, “Is that it??”  Scientists might refer you to a theorem called “Occam’s Razor” in a case like this, which basically says, “All things being equal, the simplest solution is most often the best.”  This little gizmo seems to be the living example of it.  Cheap (two for $19 on their web site), easy to install and works perfectly.  Occam’s Razor, indeed!