Beyond The Flashlight: A Look At Some Creative LED Apps
July 14, 2010
The iPhone 4 introduced an LED component that is designed to be a camera flash and a camcorder light. Some developers immediately realized this feature could also be used for general illumination, like an LED flashlight, and we've mentioned only one handful of several apps that are now available. It seems some developers have also realized even more practical uses for the LED. I've decided to pick out some that I felt demonstrated what new realms our iPhone 4s could visit, and some that just make the perfect flashlight.
iLit - One of the first I was able to get my hands on for testing. Offers instant on when launching the app, simple and sleek on and off operation, battery level display, and screen illumination function. Simple but extremely effective.
LED Light for iPhone 4 Free - Offers instant on when launched, easy on and off control, and an adjustable strobe light feature.
The free version is supported by the iAd mobile advertising platform, but there is also a $.99 version for those who absolutely hate ads or just want to guarantee the developer gets some hard earned money.
LED-Torch for iPhone 4 - Offers instant on feature, simple on and off, adjustable strobe light function, and an interesting implementation of the Morse code feature. Tap or tap and hold the screen to activate the LED light and create your own message. This is different from a few other apps with Morse code, as those apps automatically translate letters into flashes. This idea could be useful for other signaling means, which makes it a promising pursuit.
LED Torch with Morse Code - Offers Morse code translation of any text, not just SOS. Speed adjustable Morse code transmission plus an option to repeat your message or not. This app doesn't offer instant on when launched but does resume if left open. So, the LED will re-activate if you open the app from the suspended state.
Light-O-Matic - Offers Morse code translation of any text, strobe light with option to fade the screen to black, flash when detecting motion, and regular LED flashlight illumination function. The app doesn't offer instant on or adjustable strobe speed. Announced upcoming features include: strobe light speed and rate control, tap to tempo strobe light, rave mode (LCD color changer), and flash on sound. Even without looking at these updates, the app seems more focused as a party accessory. To me, that's plenty fine and likely another subcategory of apps. I feel the current strobe implementation is even closer to a regular party strobe than any of the other apps I've tried. Official Video Advertisement
Overall, I did find a few glitches for all of these apps but it really gives an idea of how much more we may find ourselves looking to our iDevices for solutions. Speaking of that, a handful of tests averaged out 12% battery drain for about 30 minutes of continuous LED use. While the iPhone 4 has a larger capacity battery, we may again push it to the limits. Some features I'd like to see appear in these LED apps include: using the camera to translate Morse code back into text, iPod integration for party features, battery level indicators for all, and instant on when launched for all. As far as hardware accessories go, perhaps a specialized dock or audio system with adjustable stand and a rotating 6-inch or so disco ball. Wouldn't that be sweet?
As far as improvements go, these apps seem to be well on their way. Anything you would like to see implemented, changed, or updated?
I did a quick video demonstration of these apps to give a better comparison.
