Kickstarter, the crowd funding platform, is changing how we create and consume things. The platform has been responsible for many projects but it was a handful of projects, such as LunaTik and TikTok (both made kits to turn the iPod Nano into a wrist watch), that put the platform on the map for good. Those products recently went on sale at Apple’s stores. This past weekend I found a new project that has a potential of being equally big.
Beep Industries of Manchester, England, the folks who designed Movie Peg, have plans to develop what they call “Red Pop.” The project’s goal was to raise $20,000 but it has officially garnered over $39,000. So what is Red Pop? It is an accessory for your iPhone with a red button that allows you to press the button and snap a photo. You will need a Red Pop app from the App store to go along with the accessory, which weighs about two ounces. Given how many pictures I take with my iPhone, I see the merit of this little add-on.
Brendan Dawes from Beep Industries talks about bringing the button back with Red Pop.
Love this thing! The novelty is great, but it’s function actually solves a problem. Getting one as soon as I find out where!
I like the idea, and the design looks like it would be really comfortable in the hand – but I wouldn’t want to carry around that extra bulk. Apple. . . just give us a dedicated shutter button. . . .
Actually, the “button” is already there, they just have to borrow a design quirk from the actual camera mfgs and make it configureable in software. The volume up/down e.g., is not much in camera mode, why not allow the user to reassign it?
The product in the article may have another important function though; improving the awkward ergonomics of holding the iCamera while composing / shooting a picture.
Actually, iOS 5 will now provide the ability to use the volume keys as a camera button.
Apple is providing after-market companies with work. I don’t see a problem with that. Apple is really building a stable after-market industry for Apple products. That’s one thing Wall Street can’t get through their heads about Apple. WS only looks at Apple in one dimension.
Fun concept but it does detract from the convenience of the all in one device. Being able to use the volume button to snap a picture makes more sense seeing as if you need a camera quickly your phone is most likely locked and not in use.
Agreed with Professional Gun…IT looks pretty cool and comfortable to use but why anyone would like to carry some thing extra with a mobile it would have been better if There was some sort of small button on the side or Shutter type of thing…
Great device. Had similar problem of shooting photos from iphone trying to press the button. This solves it..nice gadget..Is this available in market
This is flawed because it’s more of a hassle to carry the extra piece all the time and install it if you don’t leave it attached all the time than it is to just use the iPhone’s on screen button!
This must be a joke. No shutter button on iPhone still after all these years? I just saw a Pizza Hut shop here in Hong Kong that had it’s menu or whatever displayed outside in a display that looked like an iPhone. At least I start to be completely sick of iPhone design, it’s such a commodity and a bore, and to make it worse all other phone manufacturers are imitating it. We seriously need some brave and outstanding designs in this space.
I’m with the others – it looks comfortable and all, but who would carry one of these around in their pockets?
Please Apple, just give us a dedicated button, or you know, give the volume toggle dual-use or something.
I’m sorry but this is ridiculous, how can they raise so much money?
It’s bulky and merely addresses ONE shortcoming of iPhones. If you want a phone that has sensible design for such things go with a Windows Phone- their phones require a camera button and can bypass the lock screen to take a shot quickly…
If people didn’t give Apple a free pass for every flaw in their design we wouldn’t need to raise so much money for a novelty piece of plastic.
It’s a shame that unlike most other phones the iPhone doesn’t already have a camera button, but I can see the use of this in snapping a quick photo!
Love the thinking behind this and the lovely clean design but just not sure if I would be bothered to carry around something like that for the added benefit. Hope it succeeds though and will probably have a market
Sure it’d be a great tool to have… provided the app starts up faster than the Camera app, the thing stays on securely, and Apple doesn’t decide they’ve taken it too far and bans the app. (as they did with that app that re-appropriated the volume buttons)
Just jailbreak and use snaptap to have your volume button do the same thing.
Just announced, volume up will take a pic on iOS5, this device is useless.
Ouch, iOS5 announced with volume up to work as shutter button.
Yes – I find the lack of dedicated button annoying. Though I first assumed this attachment printed them. Alas, for the button alone I’m not convinced it’s worth the hassle.
Apple can make their camera work with the + button, good for them, but that will never make the iPhone feel more like a camera, I’ve had a touch, a feel and a go with the prototype Red Pop, (Brendan is my brother in law) and it feels great. The button – a real moving button – makes all the difference to the feel of taking pictures on the iPhone, Red Pop makes holding the phone for pictures super stable.
I’ve been messing with my phone using my finger and thumb to press the + button as if taking pictures and it’s fiddly, I don’t have some big old franken-fingers, I have regular size hands, and it’s still fiddly, I use my iPhone without a case and it’s slippery as hell, with Red Pop those problems are gone. Old hands and stiff fingers or just young and clumsy? Yeah, you need Red Pop too.
Oh, and no, I’m not getting one for free, I like it so much I’m paying for mine.
$75 for a button. You can buy a Canon Powershot that’s smaller than the Red Pop accessory for $50 bucks.
Although, I can see if you have an iPhone you would think this is a cool idea, however I’m totally against the idea. Actually, I’m not against Red Pop, I’m against using your iPhone as a camera. Your iPhone is a cell phone. If you like taking pictures, then take a camera. It doesn’t have to be a Canon EOS, but a real camera, made and designed to take pictures that has a real lens bigger than an ant head.
Anyway I did a whole post on Red Pop here –> http://elvisinmybasement.blogspot.com/2011/07/red-pop-sums-up-everything-i-hate-about.html