This week in the
Washington Post, a Tech Crunch piece by Greg Kumparak was highlighted that reminds us of just how much the iPhone has left us hanging - at least in terms of five iPhone accessories many of us are still waiting for.
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Partly for the sake of inspiring would be hardware-makers and partly because we just like to think about this sort of stuff, we’ve come up with a list of five iPhone accessories we’re not-so-patiently waiting for.
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Although we could easily supplement this list with additional would-be accessories, for now, this is a good start.
A Detachable Physical Keyboard
I know, I know... the iPhone isn't supposed to have a physical keyboard. But with the BlackBerry and Droid renewing the mobile consumer's love affair with a keyboard, a detachable physical keyboard should have been added to our accessory menu a long time ago.
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It’s almost ridiculous that this one hasn’t been made yet – and that even when it is, support will likely be so limited that it’ll suck something fierce.
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Gamepad
Mobile gaming could ultimately provide Apple an opportunity to trounce other mobile gaming specialists. But the iPhone is going to need a gamepad to get over the hump and capture ripe opportunities.
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The iPhone platform has already proven itself to be an incredible stage for on-the-go gaming. Graphics? Check. Tons (and tons and tons) of games? Check! Awesome controls? Che .. er, wait, nope.
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Universal Remote
The universal remote should not even be a term that remains in our collective vernacular. Yet, sadly, it does. And although Apple would only have to imbue the iPod Touch with an RF/IR transmitter, don't hold your breath for that development any time soon.
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Apple’s not about to do that – but in the mean time, a third party could get the ball rolling. Build a transmitter into a dongle or a case, throw together a user-customizable remote application for sharing control layouts and codes, and bam! You’ve got a remote for every controllable device in the world, in your pocket at all times.
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Dog Training Tools
Although I could argue for even more useful accessories than this particular gripe lobbies for, the need for improved dog training tools is real and should be addressed in some fashion.
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Let an RF transmitter communicate with whatever training tools might be in place (such as a citronella spray collar, for example), but slap in a high frequency loudspeaker to emulate a dog whistle whenever the collars are back at home.
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pinCredit Card Payments
This is another no brainer. Although, as the article points out, mobile payments are by no means as popular in the US as they are in other countries, the iPhone should have been tweaked by now to address what will certainly develop into a universal commonality.
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American Express or Mastercard could make a case (or a dongle) that has an RFID built in, just like your credit card – but with the benefit of software tie-ins, the RFID could be erased/locked on the fly. Just swiping the case wouldn’t work – but once you’ve hopped into the Pay app and punched in your pin, your case acts as a credit card for 30 seconds.
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Of course, we could go on and on about what else we want from our iPhone. But you've got to start somewhere. Would your top five wish-list differ much from the above?
Image via Tech Crunch
11-03-2009, 09:32 AM
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