Every thinking being has had at least one moment in its life when an idea congeals in its mind that so completely solves a problem or answers a question with such clarity that the answers seems at once so grand that its very conception is a source of amazement, yet so simple that it is amazing why it was not conceived before.
This is not one of those moments for me, but that moment must have occurred at some point for Thomas Gerhardt and Dan Provost. These gentlemen have created the Glif, and, if what I’ve read about it is true, the answer to a problem many iPhone 4 owners have been looking for is on its way.
The Glif is a plastic “thing” that serves as a holder for your iPhone 4. What makes the Glif different from the gazillion other iPhone cases, covers, pouches, stands, and docks is its versatility. The Glif is a landscape or portrait oriented stand, and it has a built-in tripod mount. That last part is is enough to get most people interested, finding a decent tripod mount that accommodates the iPhone 4 has, to date, been a frustrating endeavor for me.
Anyone looking to use the iPhone 4 for serious photography or videography have needed a rig to get the device on to a tripod, and the few available rigs I’ve seen cost way more than it should and serve only one function.
The Glif trumps all of that. You can pre-order a Glif for $20 (including shipping and handling), and the device adapts itself in so many ways that you’ll wonder how you’ve gotten along thus far without it.
Back to Thomas Gerhardt and Dan Provost for a moment: These guys came up with the Glif and are looking to make it commercially available by getting funding through another great idea, a venture called KickStarter.
KickStarter is a clearing house for artists and entrepreneurs looking for funding to start projects. The projects are presented to the public at large with the amount of funding required for each, and the public can donate whatever it wants to help the project meet it’s funding goals. If a project gets fully funded then the project owners get the donated cash minus a 5% processing fee, and the public gets the warm feeling one gets from helping a worthy cause, and whatever gratuity the project may offer. In the case of the Glif, a $20 donation gets you a pre-ordered Glif. You can donate more or less and get something in return appropriate for your level of donation.
The Glif project has already surpassed its funding goal, but it is still accepting donations. Apparently, other folks can see the need for the Glif.
Stop by the Glif website and check it out. I think you’ll want to drop a twenty on them just as I did. It’s a great idea that deserves a chance to exist.