Most Android devices don’t have a physical home button like the iPhone or iPad, and while it reduces manufacturing costs and is one less thing to break, sometimes it’s nice to have that tactile feedback. So the Dimple goes above and beyond the call of duty with a set of four easy-to-install buttons that can be customised to do almost anything you want.
Best of all, it doesn’t require any kind of sketchy hacks or permanent modifications to your device. Using the magic of NFC, it literally just sticks to almost anywhere on your Android smartphone or tablet without the need for Bluetooth, Wi-Fi or even its own battery.
Each of the four buttons have their own unique NFC ID so that the Dimple’s accompanying app and the Android OS can tell them apart when they’re pressed. And while the simple accessory should work with any device that comes with NFC, smartphones with metal cases like the HTC One unfortunately don’t make the cut.
If you’re already sold on the idea, you might be dismayed to hear that the Dimple will actually be launching an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign on May 6 — so you can’t buy it just yet. But if the campaign is successful, the Dimple’s creators are optimistic it will be available as early as August of this year. And for a donation of just $US27, it’s a surprisingly cheap way to add a lot of extra functionality to your devices. [Dimple via Ubergizmo]