Kickstarter project “Pressy – the Almighty Android Button” has flown past their initial crowdfunding goal of US $40,000 – 23,500 backers have lined up for the little multifunction button, sending its funding well over $500,000.
Pressy fits into the headphone jack of your Android phone, and acts as a shortcut to any action that your phone can perform. A background service monitors the headset jack and activates only when the button is clicked, so that it doesn’t drain your battery. The application recognises the specific input and performs the desired action. The Pressy app works on all Android devices, versions 2.3 and up.
Out of the box, Pressy comes with three pre-set functions: a short click activates the flashlight (if your phone has a flash), a long click activates silent mode, and a double click takes a photo. You can customise these behaviours content with the Pressy app. Pressy’s API is also available for developers to incorporate into their app, allowing them to launch specific actions with the press of the button – an example might be offering one click to strafe and two clicks to crouch in a game.
The button costs US $17 (plus US $5 for international shipping) for one Pressy and the app. An additional US $3 gets you a keychain/holder to keep it safe when you want to plug in your headphones. There are various other packages available on the Kickstarter site, including different colours. The buttons are anticipated to ship in March 2014.
Please remember that Kickstarter is not a pre-order page, but an “investment” in the company, with no guarantees. Pressy looks like an interesting project, and could be a great way to access shortcuts for your phones most used features.
Are you interested in Pressy, or have you already backed it? Let us know in the comments!
