DIY iFlash for the iPhone

Reader Joe, he of the Ringtonator program we've posted about before, has sent word of a crazy cool hack-- using LEDs and a broken iPod car charger, he's created what he has dubbed the iFlash-- an external flash device for the iPhone's camera.

And it actually works really well. Apparently he used a tact switch, so there's no super coding necessary-- you just hit the button to turn the light on, and then take the picture. But he did hook it up so it's powered by the dock connection, which means all you have to do is keep it in your pocket until you need it, then plug it in and shoot away. Over on his forums, he's posted an entire how-to of the whole thing, from the dissection of the dock connector to the wiring of the LEDs. Pretty slick-- looks like maybe an afternoon's work, and it presents about as good a flash as the iPhone's camera is.

Thanks, Joe!