North Vancouver, BC -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/17/2014 -- A novel configuration of large tablets such as the iPad can remake them into a kitchen appliance at home, or a fountain of sound and video in a restaurant or bar booth.

Poort's Counter Computer™ converts an iPad (and some 10" Android tablets) into a fixed station with strong audio. Over kitchen or work counters, it reserves valuable counter space and deftly conceals the entire power outlet and its usual cable clutter.

Made of thick cast aluminum with a washable enamel finish - 'Poorts' introduce a computing form factor with many possible applications, offering a refreshing approach to kitchen electronics, bar entertainment, industrial controls, alarm housings - anywhere access to the Net is needed without intrusive installations.

10 WATT EFFICIENCY
In use a Poort draws just 10 watts -doing duty as a night-light if left running- and it is always fully charged. The modular Poort holds great promise as a solar-charged device in developing countries, as family entertainment and education devices. Its ability to run on WiFi as community bandwidth is another cornerstone toward its adoption.

NON DESTRUCTIVE MOUNTING
Installation is novel, in that it utilizes industrial mounting tape for strong, rattle-free assembly and hanging, avoiding the need to drill holes in high value kitchen back splashes - previously a barrier for consumer electronics.

Available as a kit for enclosing an existing 10" tablet, most notably any full-sized iPad, it is easily dismounted just by lifting it, and can travel with you to the cottage, or from room to room in the home or business.

POWERFUL AUDIO WHEN YOU NEED IT
Because it is shaped like an acoustic horn the Poort gathers the weak audio from a tablet's speakers and bounces it off your work counter, amplifying and mellowing the sound. When you want more than that, Poorts optionally include a strong internal speaker bar that itself can put out 10 watts.

BARS BECKON
The heavy, rigid housing protects its components in messy areas, is easily cleaned and recyclable, and serves as an adaptable and economical industrial enclosure. It large cargo bay can hold a compact AED.

Poorts can replace expensive kiosks as well as menu and payment tablets with off the shelf components. As tablets begin to appear in restaurants, Poort has produced an open source, modular solution with a more versatile form factor than dedicated menu and card scanners.

Because it brings with it the unfiltered Internet, Poorts may soon replace music in bars with customer selections, likely leading to an interesting cacophony quite different from the piped-in fare patrons must listen to now.

This move from imposed background music to individual selections of sound and video from the Internet promises to change 'Sports bars' into 'Net bars' with their own distinctive attributes. The possible adult content a Poort can offer is sure to make this transition a controversial one, pointing to their adoption in bars before restaurants.

OPEN ARCHITECTURE
Poort CEO Dwight Jones thinks being non-proprietary keeps its cost down and all possibilities open.

"A Poort's advantage lies in its open architecture. App developers can offer any kind of utility, in any operating system, and draw down the full Internet. It's a modular hardware design that pioneers using a tablet elegantly and differently, from fixed locations. What people assemble from there is going to be very interesting."

The new Poort devices are available in limited quantities on Kickstarter in a premium sand cast edition, and the firm is currently seeking developers for applications aimed at a reservation system, when used in restaurant booths, and for security stations in high rise buildings, in support of medical emergencies.

The company expects to be in full production by summer and is welcoming joint ventures interests.