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iMpulse Controller keyring for iPhone, iPad, and Android hits Kickstarter

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iMpulse Controller keyring for iPhone, iPad, and Android hits Kickstarter
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You may remember an ingenious little device we covered back at the beginning of July called iMpulse.

Yes, it was another third-party smartphone control pad, but this one had real potential due to actually being portable.

What's the point, after all, of improved iOS and Android game control if you have to lug a large piece of plastic around with you?

iMpulse, on the other hand, is so compact it doubles as a keyring - and the one thing you always have with you alongside your phone is your set of keys. Genius.

Now, the project has reappeared on Kickstarter, the crowdfunding initiative that encourages backers to donate funds to speed up or improve production of bright new concepts.

It also offers us the opportunity to catch up with progress on the iMpulse Controller and see what new features have been added since our last report.

Expanded control

Now included in the iMpulse plan is a find-your-key feature. There'll be an app for your smartphone that lets you set off a tone from the iMpulse, thus helping you locate your keys. It's a nice idea, but you don't need it - they're in your jacket pocket.

Also new is a remote camera feature, which allows you to use the iMpulse to take pictures with you in them. No more awkward arms-length snaps that cut half your face off.

Following valuable input from interested would-be customers, iMpulse developer Black Powder Media has also incorporated media control functionality into the device. So, you can use the iMpulse's nub to control volume, and tap on the four face buttons to initiate skip, play, and mute commands.

Other neat little features include being able to use the iMpulse in either orientation - handy for you southpaws - and being able to use two iMpulse controllers for one device. That'll be more useful for iPad and Android tablet users, we should think.

Giving it a Kickstart

The iMpulse team currently has working prototypes of its controller, and it expects to ship the first production batch by the end of the year. Of course, this would be helped immeasurably by some solid Kickstarter funding.

The team hopes to raise $50,000 by November 4th. This will help it to manufacture the 4,000 units it needs to reach break-even point.

So, why not head on over to the iMpulse Kickstarter page and see if the team can't tempt you to part with a few pounds, dollars, or euros in the name of better smartphone control?

Jon Mundy
Jon Mundy
Jon is a consummate expert in adventure, action, and sports games. Which is just as well, as in real life he's timid, lazy, and unfit. It's amazing how these things even themselves out.