Glif: An iPhone 4 tripod mount and stand

The Glif may be one of the coolest contraptions designed for the iPhone 4 to date, and you can be a part of its production. The Glif, a tripod mount and stand for the iPhone 4, was created by New York City's Tom Gerhardt, a software and hardware developer, and Dan Provost, an interaction designer.

So how can you be a part of this cool little accessory? Gerhardt and Provost are leveraging the crowd-sourced power of Kickstarter to fund the manufacturing process needed to get the Glif off the ground. With 29 days to go, the duo has managed to already meet their $10,000 goal and exceed it by more than 50 percent.

Clearly this product is something people are interested in. And for a mere $20, you can get one, too. Well, you can preorder one, at least. Your donation to the project gets these things made, but you also get the product. It's a win-win. And that's the power of Kickstarter.

Here's why the Glif exists, straight from the guys who are making it:

"The idea for the Glif was first formed when we realized the iPhone 4 is literally the best camera we've ever owned. With the addition of HD video recording and high dynamic range photography, it's clear Apple is positioning the iPhone as a very high-quality portable camera. But because of its small form factor (and Apple's minimalist design approach) it will never contain a threaded nut for attaching a tripod, standard on almost all photo and video cameras. Solutions for mounting an iPhone to a tripod exist (DIY or otherwise) but they are typically bulky and cumbersome. Our goal was to create something small, simple, and elegant."

It's the utility and simplicity that really make the Glif stand out to me. So, don't waste any time, get over to Kickstarter and help support a great project by preordering one.

Do you know anyone creating great iPhone accessories and using crowd-sourced funding on Kickstarter? Let me know in the comments!