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NOW
AA.COM/AMERICANWAY
JUNE 01, 2013
23
{ GADGET }
FilterPerfect
Takinghigh-qualityphotos
is a snapwith
TRYGGER
, an
easy-to-use camera clip that attaches toyour iPhone5.
Inspiredbyprofessional cameraequipment, theTrygger
features apolarizing filter that cutsglareandunwanted
reflections causedbyglass,water,metal andhazy skies,
ensuring richer colors and sharper images regardlessof
your surroundings. Its adjustable filter also lets you control
light levelson the spot,while its four-sidedpressuregrip
fits snugly toyour iPhone toprevent anyextraneous light
fromentering. Trygger alsohas aversion for the iPhone4
that features anultrathin case fashioned fromhigh-strength
polycarbonate.
$39,www.bitemyapple.co
—JOSH SENS
Smartphonesandtabletswere
supposedtospell thedeathofbooks
—at least inthetraditionalsense.But
somebody forgottotell thatto
BooksforAmerica
, thenonprofit
groupthat’sturningusedelectronic
devices intogood,old-fashioned
paperbackandhard-coverbooks
forchildren.Donateacellphone,
tablet,e-readeror laptoptothe
organization,andthegroupwillsell
it forcashthatwillbeusedto fund
library improvements.Todate, the
organizationhasgiven$5.2million
inbookstoschoolsandshelters.
Pre-addressedmailing labelsare
availableonline,andthedonation
istax-deductible. It’sawin-winfor
everyone.
—CHRIS OPFER
{ TECH }
YourVeryOwn
Polaroid
I
2008,
but crushed the collective soul
of analog-photo aficionados by
announcingthatitwasdiscontinuing
itsproductionof instantfilm,which
hadbeenafavoredmediumbyartists
and amateurs for 60 years. Luckily,
over a coupleof beers following the
closingevent atPolaroid’s factory in
Enschede, Switzerland, lomography
loversDr. FlorianKaps andAndré
Bosman came upwith the idea for
The Impossible Project (TIP). By
October 2008, the Impossible team
had purchased Polaroid’s instant-
filmmachinery,hired10ofPolaroid’s
topemployees and leasedabuilding
at the company’s old factory. And
by2011, thecompanyhad releaseda
SilverShadeandColorShadeversion
offilm, aswell as several limitededi-
tions(withblackandgrayframesora
bluepolka-dot version for thehaute
ParisianboutiqueColette).
Fast-forward to thismonth,when
TIPwill further thepropositionwith
thereleaseofthe
IMPOSSIBLE INSTANT
LAB
, aprocessorsimilar toaPolaroid
camerathathookstoyouriPhone(and
eventuallyAndroidphones) tomake
instantanalogprintsofdigital images.
“Onone side, itwas avery crazy idea.
Buton theother, itwasaverynatural
thing todo,” saysKapsof theproject,
which receiveda$600,000 infusion
fromafall2012Kickstartercampaign.
“Ireally loveanalogfilm,”Kapsadmits.
“But at theendof theday,mostofmy
picturesareontheiPhonebecauseit’s
mucheasier.”By combining cutting-
edgedigital-camera technology, light
exposureandbasicchemistry, prints
from the InstantLabwill dependon
temperature, humidity and “a lot of
thingsyoucannotcontrol,”addsKaps.
“Itbrings theInstagram idea intoreal-
ity.”Henotesthatcrackedorscratched
screens and videos shouldmake for
great art. “You canmake double ex-
posuresandusea lotof creative tech-
niques.I’mverymuchlookingforward
towatchingpeopleexperimentwith
it.”
,
—§ ¨© ª «¬
