How many times has someone told you: “Hurry, take a picture with your phone”? However, it isn’t that quick, is it? You need to whip out your phone; insert your password; swipe through your app menu to find the camera app; point and click. By that time, more often than not, the “Kodak Moment” has passed.
That is exactly why an Israeli Kickstarter project is breaking the bank with Pressy, a physical button that attaches to any Android phone’s audio jack and allows you to quickly perform a number of tasks, such as snapping a photo; turning on your flashlight or sharing your location.
The button, which works alongside the Pressy app and is the brainchild of app developer Nimrod Back and graphic designer Boaz Mendel, is proving to be a hit on the crowdfunding website Kickstarter. Just six days into the campaign, Pressy has shattered its $40,000 goal, reaching almost ten times the target amount with 41 days left to go.
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The product is one of those simple-yet-smart inventions: A basic button attached to the audio jack, which can be programmed using different series of clicks (not unlike Morse code), to perform up to 33 actions. If your device is connected to headphones or a Bluetooth device, then their control button becomes Pressy. The physical button can be stored in a designated keychain when not in use.
The price for Pressy is not outrageous, starting at $17 on the Kickstarter page and another $3 if you want to include the keychain. The first Pressys will ship out in March 2014.
The founders are also planning to make the product’s API (application programming interface) available for programmers who want to build their own apps for Pressy.
The major downside of Pressy is that it won’t be available for iPhone users. However, this comes as no surprise, considering Apple’s strict external hardware policy.
Photos: Pressy’s Kickstarter page
