Apps in review | Analog apps

Hello everyone! Have you heard of analog apps?

As TechCrunch puts it, analog apps "use physical contraptions to change or alter a smartphone's functionality in a decidedly homegrown way." In other terms, they are physical supports that are designed to interact with a smartphone to expand the capabilities of the latter. The analog app presented in the video above, AbracadabrApp, is the latest project in this category. Its makers are currently raising funds for production, and you can contribute by pledging here (if your pledge is 40$, you will be one of the first to receive the new product once it ships).

The iPhone's integration with a Moleskine notebook is not a new concept. If you want to try it out, you can hit your local Apple store or go online to buy one of Evernote's "Smart Notebook by Moleskine." For approximately 25$, this notebook exploits your smartphone's digital camera to scan and bring into Evernote your handwritten notes.

Analog apps are cool, but all in all I am not sure I am sold to the idea. I take a ton of pictures with my iPhone, but for higher-end, more professional ones (read: the ones I may want to edit and add filters to) I use my professional camera. In addition, there are a number of digital apps that allow you to apply filters to pictures taken with the iPhone, and they make the idea behind AbracadabrApp seem cumbersome. What do you think?