Email'n Walk lets you see right through your iPhone

Quincy Pince-Nez
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May 16, 2009
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A new app hit the app store this week which might be something for those who send emails on the go.  Email'n Walk (iTunes link) turns on the iPhone camera and presents the video as a backdrop to your email entry page.  The idea was apparantly originally an April Fool's gag.

We like this implementation but aren't sure how it will work in practice.  Won't the camera just be looking at your feet?  Perhaps it depends on what angle you send emails at.  Anyone try this yet?

 

Comments (16)

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | May 16, 2009 - 10:46am

Yes, my friends get great snapshots of my bathroom when I send them emails from my toilet seat.

Gorilla (not verified) | May 16, 2009 - 2:27pm

Off topic, this app doesn't send pictures of you or your bathroom. You're commenting in vain. Really.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | May 16, 2009 - 10:48am

Id expect the biggest problem is the lack of a video camera. You'll be looking at an updating snapshot of your feet, which isn't nearly as helpful.

If you're texting whilst not looking where you're going the problem is to look up, not to try to work around it with an app.

Gorilla (not verified) | May 16, 2009 - 11:21am

You have no clue what you're talking about. Try the app first and then comment. You don't need a video camera to look at your surroundings, it works exactly as the native camera app does.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | May 16, 2009 - 11:41am

Sorry: you're right: I didn't read the article completely and I didn't try the app. I made some assumptions based on what I've read on the web in the past.

Now that I have tried the app, I stand corrected. It works surprisingly well.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | May 16, 2009 - 11:02am

brilliant! love this idea!

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | May 16, 2009 - 11:05am

yeah great idea; people will start texting while driving {!}

powers | May 16, 2009 - 9:00pm

I was driving thru Atl a few weeks ago and decided to pay attention to how many people were on the cell talking/texting. It was like 70%! At 7 in the evening. At 70 MPH. REDICULOUS! But I agree, this could only encourage such behavior. Maybe the devs. could make use of GPS to disable the function if it detects motion over like 10MPH. Though it'd probably be safer not to. If people are going to text and drive, they might as well be able to see where they are going.

 

 

"Thanks, I think"

Attk | May 16, 2009 - 9:16pm

 Heck, the dip$#!+s around where I live can't drive and chew gum at the same time, much less talk or text while driving...  Even if they could see, they'd be too preoccupied to pay attention!

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | May 16, 2009 - 11:51am

text during sex and don't miss a thing!!!

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | May 16, 2009 - 1:19pm

hehe... good one!

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | May 16, 2009 - 1:30pm

It is a very lovely and unique idea but I don't think it's useful in practice. If I'm emailing/texting when I'm walking, the phone doesn't actually block the view in front of me... what matters to me is my sideways like when crossing the road to make sure no cars are passing... but again, it's a cool idea and I give credit to the one who thought of it!

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | May 16, 2009 - 1:37pm

Yeah I saw this post and had to review it since I was on my way out and the only thing keeping inside was the fact that I had to finish some emails.

Check it out: http://www.iniphonenews.com

I love it so far, avoided a few lamp posts, so it works.

powers | May 16, 2009 - 8:48pm

This device just gets better and better every day.

"Thanks, I think"

Freebies (not verified) | May 18, 2009 - 12:30am

This app is an amazing look into the future of smartphones and how they will rule our lives, do we really need to be able to see through our iPhone whilst texting?

No, but it is still a great idea

r00fus (not verified) | May 19, 2009 - 11:39pm

Imagine instead of looking at your iphone you're using the latest video goggles or a neurocannula implant doing a superimposition on your visual feed... may not be useful now, but it's a great tech demo of what we can expect.