by 
As an older nerd, the Grid 4S hits all kinds of sweet spots. Created by Grid Studios, the Grid 4S is part of their Grid Tech series which consists of framed gadgets that have been blown up to show all of the parts inside our favorite gear. The model I received, the Grid 4S, is a blown up iPhone 4S and it’s really cool.
The $99 4S model (coming in at a massive discount for Black Friday) is akin to a desk gadget that you hang on your wall. The explosion is clearly labeled and you can see ll the little bits of the iPhone laid out complete with lines and arrows pointing to their internal locations. There is a nice little Steve Jobs quote at the bottom and the whole thing is very curatorial. In other words, it would look great on a museum wall but will look even better on your home office wall.
The company makes multiple styles of the Grid including an exploded Game Boy, a PSP, and even an exploded iPod touch. The devices, splayed out like butterflies on pins, get a second life as a clever conversation pieces.
The bottom line is that this is a nice gift and definitely fun if you or someone you know loves their gadgets. It’s a bit expensive – the sale price of $99 for the iPhone 4S is fine but the non-sale price of $169 might be a little much – but it’s clear that they took a lot of time and care to build these things. My recommendation? Check them out and see if they might make a good gift for someone on your nice list this season.
