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Posts tagged with "camera"

WordLens Founder On The Limitations Of Augmented Reality Apps→

WordLens Founder On The Limitations Of AR Apps for iPhone

Interesting interview with Robert Scoble. Turns out on-the-fly video translations are a tricky thing to accomplish, the technology underlying the app is all custom and, hopefully, more European languages will be released in early 2011.

I’ve tested the app and it’s not perfect, but it sure looks impressive. I can’t wait for this to gain more languages and, as the founder says in the interview, the possibility to give “context” to words recognized by the camera.

That would be magical.

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Simulate Long Exposures With Magic Shutter

As the iPhone becomes just about everyone’s photographic tool of choice, developers keep inventing new ways to utilize our pocket devices in the same ways we would our DSLRs. Magic Shutter continues the trend of simply beautiful iPhone apps by simulating long exposures. Ever wanted to dabble with light photography or take one of those common but still cool blurry freeway pics? Magic Shutter allows you to blur images to achieve neat effects (suddenly that 10mph vehicle looks very fast) thanks to Flash mode and Light-painting mode. You already have an idea of the latter, but Flash mode takes a still object and records video post or pre-tail, ensuring you’ll get nifty effects for roller-coaster shots or your next NASCAR outtakes. Magic Shutter is $3 from the iTunes App Store, and makes a perfect gift for the photography buff in your family.

[Magic Shutter via Wired]

tap tap tap Releases Voices 2, Camera+ Is Coming Back

After months of silence following the removal of Camera+ from the App Store, the folks at well-known development team tap tap tap announced the released of a brand new version of Voices for iPhone, a popular app we reviewed last year that allows you apply cool effect to your voice using the device’s mic.

Together with the release of Voices 2, tap tap tap has confirmed Camera+ isn’t dead, they have a new version “in review” at Apple’s App Review Team and it should go live in the App Store any day now. They call the new Camera+ “their biggest update yet”. I’m kind of intrigued.

As for Voices 2, the developers have added Retina graphics for the iPhone 4 and iPod touch 4th gen, the possibility to edit recordings by choosing different effects, 9 new effects, AirPlay support. The new effects include stuff like “computer” (nice Macintosh in there!), “walkie-talkie” and “underwater”. I’m pretty sure the app will turn out to be the perfect prank maker this holiday season, especially with AirPlay support that will let me record creepy messages and send them through the house on Christmas day.

Voices 2 is a free update for existing users and you can check out the new effect by visiting this link, where the devs have set up a demo section to test the new features. You can buy Voices 2 for $0.99 in the App Store.

That said, while Voices 2 “sounds” like a great update, I’m looking forward to seeing the new Camera+ now. I loved the app, one day it was there and then it was gone. I used it on a daily basis, then the iOS updates Apple release made it unusable. Hopefully, Camera+ will be released before Thursday.

iPhone 3G Still The Top Camera On Flickr→

iPhone 3G Still The Top Camera On Flickr

Slightly updated charts from Flickr, which show Apple’s iPhone 3G (released in 2008) is still the most popular camera amongst Flickr users. The iPhone 4 had a rapid increase in the Popular Cameraphones category, with the 3GS stable right below it.

Also, notice the perfect symmetry in the iPhone 4 and 3GS charts.

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MacStories’ 2010 Roundup: Top 10 iPhone Camera Apps

Welcome to MacStories’ 2010 Roundup! In this new series, we collect the best apps released in 2010 for the Mac, iPhone and iPad — apps we have probably already featured here on MacStories. Only the best apps, both free and paid. Apps you shouldn’t miss.

For me, 2010 has been the year of the iPhone camera. Since I bought my French iPhone 4 in June for a whoppin’ 800 Euros (don’t even ask), I’ve been shooting photos like never before. Sure, I know the iPhone 4 is still a cellphone and true photos don’t come from a phone. I’m OK with that. But I’m no professional photographer, nor am I willing to spend money on a DSLR. Not because I disdain quality – I just wouldn’t know how to fully enjoy it. Leave the pro tools to the pros. For me, the iPhone 4’s camera is good enough to provide photos I like, that I can share with my friends.

Which leads me to apps. The iPhone’s camera is great, but apps are there to enrich its functionalities. Apps with built-in sharing features, apps with filters, apps that rely on their own social network, apps aimed at completely replacing the stock camera…the selection is huge. Photography is, indeed, one of the best selling categories in the App Store right behind Games and Productivity.

In this second MacStories’ 2010 Roundup we have collected the top 10 camera apps for the iPhone. We could have included more, but these are the ones that in our opinion really stood out this year. So head past the break, and check out the Top 10 iPhone Camera Apps of 2010. Read more

Lab For iPhone Gives You Detailed Information About Your Photos

They say the best camera is the one that’s always with you, and there’s no question the iPhone has become the best camera for many. The iPhone is with us all the time, whether we’re on the go checking in venues with Foursquare or at home, playing some Infinity Blade. Most of all, the iPhone 4 provides a very good picture quality thanks to its 5MP lens, flash and shiny Retina Display.

If the iPhone is our best camera, there must be an app for that, right? I’m not talking about the stock camera app, or the hundreds of popular alternatives such as CameraBag, Instagram or Camera+. I’m talking about an app to manage photos shot with the best camera.

We have talked about Cydia tweaks that enable photo management on-device through some Camera Roll hacks. Lab by LateNiteSoft is a $0.99 app available here that, with a beautiful user interface, provides a quick and elegant way to scroll through your photos and get detailed information about them. Read more

An iPad Rear Camera: Practical or Impractical?

Earlier today we learned some Chinese accessory makers are already producing cases for an alleged “iPad 2”. Those cases clearly show a hole in the upper left corner for a rear-facing camera in the next iteration of Apple’s tablet.

“A rear-facing camera? On the iPad? How are you supposed to take pictures holding the iPad like a camera?” These are the questions going around today, the same we heard when the iPad was first unveiled and, well, lacked a camera.

iLounge posted a follow-up to their iPad 2 case story, with some predictions / hope about a possible rear camera in the iPad 2:

One thing that Apple really enjoys doing, particularly when adding a new feature to an established product, is rethinking things that competitors have attempted and gotten wrong.
[…]
Picture the iPad in an advertisement looking out at a landscape, snapping a picture, and having the landscape appear on the iPad’s screen looking just like what your eyes were seeing. Or taking a picture of a group of people, then becoming the picture frame for the family photo. It sounds so simple, but with the lens on the back of the Galaxy Tab (or, say, the iPod touch) right now, that’s not happening.

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Is This The First iPad 2 Case? With A Rear Camera?

Just in time for today’s iPad 2 rumors, iLounge is reporting of what appears to be the first case the second-generation iPad. Produced by Chinese manufacturer Shenzhen MacTop Electronics, the case shows a slightly more curved design and a hole in the upper left corner for a rear camera. Just like on the iPhone 4 and iPod Touch 4th generation.

The Crystal Case for iPad 2nd Generation also sports a much bigger speaker opening. There have been rumors recently about the “iPad 2” coming out in less than 100 days, and there also have been rumors about Apple willing to implement features such as FaceTime camera, Retina Display and a USB port on it. But a rear camera? That’d be new to the rumor mill. Read more