Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Headflat makes your smartphone hands free, makes you look a bit stupid


One of the things Google aims to “fix” with Google Glass is the current situation where everyone walks around with their heads down and hands cupped around a smartphone. You can’t see where you are going, and both your hands are tied up playing with a device.
But why spend $1,500 on a work-in-progress pair of glasses when $49 on a head mount and cap will also solve the problem? That’s what inventor Dirk Keune is hoping you’ll be thinking and willing to spend by backing his Kickstarter for the headflat.
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The headflat is effectively a cap with a universal mount and smartphone dock attached to it. When worn, it puts your smartphone within line-of-sight, and does so hands-free. Keune says this allows you to watch movies, read ebooks, and video chat all while leaving your hands free to do other things.
The headflat also ships with a wireless controller. With it you can play games, again without having to hold the phone and offering better input than tapping and sliding your fingers across a touchscreen. But it does mean your hands are no longer free.
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The biggest problem the headflat has is it makes you look pretty stupid when wearing it. It’s also going to draw attention to the fact you have a smartphone attached to your head, and one that’s much easier to grab seeing as you don’t have a firm grasp on it.
Keune is asking for $100,000 on Kickstarter to help fund headflat and make it a reality. Early adopters can secure one for $49, which includes the headflat, controller, and two games for iOS orAndroid devices. Once the early bird slots are taken the price goes up to $79, and it will eventually be $99 at retail if it gets funded. You can also get 2 headflats for $119, 5 for $382, and a 10 pack for $769 if you have a lot of friends tired of using their hands.

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