This might just be the strangest tech product I’ve ever reviewed. The Padacs Keep Calm And Selfie On Remote is, ultimately, a button.
Are you massively Selfie-obsessed, and at the same time a fan of seriously overworn memes? That’s presumably the target market for the $12.95 Padacs Keep Calm And Selfie On Remote, which at a technical level isn’t much more than a button, a switch and a small red remote with a logo on it.
Specifically, the Padacs Keep Calm And Selfie On Remote is a Bluetooth device that pairs to Android or iOS devices when powered on to act as a camera remote control device. It runs from a standard and supplied CR2032 battery with a power switch that automatically starts pairing the first time you power it up. Once paired, you’ve only got one button, which acts as a one-click shutter; there’s no half-press for focus as you might expect from some standalone cameras.
(and on the other side, a minus!)
While the pitch for the Padacs Keep Calm And Selfie On Remote is towards the Selfie crowd, there’s some greater utility in having a standalone remote button when it comes to other forms of phone photography, especially if you want to reduce blur and shudder in your finished snaps. The Padacs Keep Calm And Selfie On Remote’s range was quite good in my testing, happily snapping from up to 20 metres away and even through a few walls, although of course at that kind of range you’re more or less snapping blind because you can’t make out any screen at that distance. It also only provides a single shot, so if you want burst mode you’ll have to click rapidly to make it happen.
The Padacs Keep Calm And Selfie On Remote is a pretty simple product that for the most part works. I’m not going to say I’m wild about the style or meme-ish message, and it’s worth only having it paired when you absolutely must take photos, not just because it’ll drain the battery, but also because it uses a keyboard pairing profile, and this means that your smartphone is considerably less smart while it’s paired.