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Video screenshot by Amanda Kooser/CNET
Walking while staring at a smartphone screen is an all-too-common activity. While many people miraculously dodge danger, others end up falling into lakes or getting smacked in the face by an NBA basketball. If only they could have seen it coming. With the FLiCC iPhone case, they can.
The Kickstarter project for FLiCC (Forward Looking Cellphone Case) plans to deliver an iPhone 5/5s/6/6 Plus case with a mirror built into the back. The tiny mirror flips out to project what’s in front of the phone into the camera. An app takes the mirror image, flips it the right way around and runs a small video stream on your screen, like picture-in-picture for real life.
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The FLiCC app is already available from the App Store. It opens with a liability release warning about the dangers of walking and using a cell phone simultaneously. The app still feels a bit unfinished, but it’s reasonable to expect some of the Kickstarter funds to go into refining the experience, if the project is successful.
The app requires the mirror from the FLiCC case to work properly. If you just try to download the app and use it without the case, you’ll end up staring at a backwards world.
Probably the biggest obstacle to adoption of FLiCC is that you’re stuck with what you can do within the world of the app, which includes sending texts and emails, updating Twitter and Facebook, taking photos and surfing the Internet.
FLiCC has a modest $8,000 funding goal, and a handful of backers have shown up so far with 25 days left to run. The cases themselves are reasonably priced. An iPhone 5/5s case goes for a $15 (about £10, AU$19) pledge, while an iPhone 6 Plus case goes for $35 (about £24, AU$45). If you’re absolutely incorrigible about walking and using your phone, then the FLiCC might be a better option than falling into the ocean.
