Scoopertino points Apple in right direction with solution to 'death grip woes' - iHand

IS the iHand the ideal answer to reception problems on your brand new iPhone 4?

Website Scoopertino has come up with a solution to the iPhone 4's "death grip" woes / Picture: Scoopertino

APPLE have copped significant flack over their newly released iPhone 4s signal problems but the technology world has been quick to formulate its own solution - the iHand.

In a tongue-in-cheek blog, Scoopertino announced Apple was seeking to overcome the phone's unique antenna design by using a mannequin to hold the device.

According to the site, the iHand is made from European beechwood, is swine flu proof and also comes with adjustable fingers to allow for maximum comfort.

“You can grip iHand either of two ways: by placing your fingers around its palm, or by grasping the aluminized Extender that telescopes from the wrist socket,” Scoopertino reported.

The Extender adds up to 60cm of reach and can even be used to hold the iPhone up to another person's ear.

With its flexible, hygienic and simple design (it doesn’t even require a manual), users can “grip without fear,” as the products slogan suggests, and be ensured of a phone call uninterrupted by reception problems.

Earlier in the month, Apple admitted that the formula used to calculate iPhone signal strength was totally wrong.

“Users observing a drop of several bars when they grip their iPhone in a certain way are most likely in an area with very weak signal strength, but they don’t know it because we are erroneously displaying 4 or 5 bars." it said.

“Their big drop in bars is because their high bars were never real in the first place."

While a software fix is underway, the iHand can be bought for only US$69 and comes in an assortment of pigmentations such as Caucasian, Hispanic, Asian and Kermit.

If you hold out until the end of July, third-party skins like beauty marks, scars and a hairy hand will also be available.

Alternatively, iPhone 4 owners can purchase a rubber bumper frame that Apple officially sells for $US30.

Co-founder of Scoopertino, Ken Segall, told news.com.au their offices have been “buzzing with excitement” over the iHand.

“With so much controversy surrounding iPhone 4's antenna design, we set out to find the funniest angle on this topic.

“Since the reception problems occurred when the phone was grasped by the human hand, an artificial hand sounded like the most appropriate (and most absurd) solution,” Segall said.

When contacted regarding the iHand, Apple stressed “the (iHand) product … is not an Apple offering.”

Scoopertino was started by Segall and Michael Rylander, both veterans of Apple’s ad agency, TBWA/Chiat/Day.

Both were even involved in the Think different campaign that marked Steve Jobs’ return to the company, but Segall said they couldn't resist having a poke at their former employer.

“Nobody loves Apple more than we do,” Segall said.

“We’re addicted to the technology, and we admire the Apple spirit.

"But the headlines coming from Apple are so consistently amazing, we can’t resist giving them that extra twist, just for the fun of it.”