360
Latest
Android users can now shoot and publish their own Street View images
Google has announced that it’s latest Street View beta comes with a tool called connected photos. That lets anyone capture and publish photos from an Android phone, with no need for a fancy 360-degree camera or backpack, let alone an entire car.
Insta360's One X2 includes a touchscreen to make panoramic captures easier
Insta360 One X2 is essentially the 360-edition One R repackaged into a candybar form factor, so not only can you mount it directly onto a monopod, but you also get a handy touchscreen for quickly checking your 360 shots.
Insta360 One R gains webcam mode and major image improvements
The modular Insta360 One R is already receiving its third major update since its launch about nine months ago.
360-degree virtual tours are easier to make with Insta360 and Matterport
Matterport has added the Insta360 One R camera to the beta release of its Capture app, with full integration due in October.
GoPro's Max gets much-needed 360 time lapse features
The 360 camera is getting a firmware update that adds a few features that were missing at launch. The addition of time lapse in 360 mode fills a glaring gap in the Max spec sheet.
The world's smallest 8K 360 camera can fit in your pocket
When it comes to pocket 360 cameras these days, we tend to look to the likes of Insta360, GoPro and Ricoh. The adventurous folks may also tap into the lesser-known KanDao, which has today released its second pocket 360 camera, the QooCam 8K. As the name implies, this $589 device packs the highest video resolution in its class, beating the 5.7K Insta360 One X and the 5.6K GoPro Max. It even does real-time stitching, and afterwards, you can do "8K express edits" on your phone by way of smaller 4K proxy files. It's a cunning way to maximize the user's mobility without sacrificing output quality.
GoPro Max is the company’s second take on a 360 camera
If you're looking for a new GoPro, you are probably eyeing up the Hero 8 (read our full review here). But there's a new camera in town, and it's possibly just as interesting (maybe more so) than the latest flagship — even for regular users. Despite the Max ($499) being a spiritual successor to the Fusion 360/VR camera, the pitch is that anything the Hero 8 can do, the Max can do, and often better. Don't let the twin lenses fool you, this is a GoPro for everyone, according to the company.
GoPro Hero 8 and Max 360 cameras surface in leaks
A series of leaked photos shared by Photo Rumors shows the upcoming GoPro Hero 8 and GoPro Max 360 cameras. According to the site, the GoPro Hero 8 could be announced as soon as September. It looks like it's designed to work with new accessories, including an external microphone, LED light and additional screen. It may shoot 4K video at 120 fps and full HD video at 480 fps, and it will compete with the recently released DJI Osmo Action, DJI's first action cam.
British Airways is offering VR entertainment on flights
British Airways is set to trial VR entertainment on select first class flights from London Heathrow to New York JFK. From now until the end of the year, customers on these flights will have their own 3D cinema in the sky, and will be able to watch a variety of films, documentaries and travel shows in 2D, 3D or 360° formats.
Facebook's 3D photos will work with Insta360's 'tiny planet' images
Insta360 rarely disappoints when it comes to adding new app features for its 360 cameras. In the latest update for the One X, users will be able to upload "tiny planet" photos as 3D photos to Facebook, so long as your Facebook app is also up to date. The process is simple: Just pick your desired 360 shot, choose to share via Facebook, and you'll see the new "3D Planet" option which exports your image as a 3D photo. Then it's just a matter of creating a new post in the Facebook app, select "3D photo" and then pick your freshly made 3D planet.
Insta360 Titan is an 11K, eight-lens beast of a VR camera
Insta360 already has a line of 8K professional VR cameras, but apparently there's demand for an even higher resolution. After the teaser at last year's CES, this time the company is officially bringing out the Titan, an 11K VR camera consisting of eight lenses. Not only that, but the device also uses Micro Four Thirds sensors -- the largest available on any standalone VR camera -- with 10-bit color support. Priced at $14,999, this device is clearly aimed at folks who take VR cinematography very seriously.
Insta360's next VR camera is made to be thrown around
With the Insta360 One marking its first anniversary earlier this month, it's no surprise that the company is preparing a follow-up model to this standalone 4K 360 camera. But first, we have a teaser (as usual). From afar, the first video appears to be yet another sample that shows off "FlowState" video stabilization combined with slow motion and FreeCapture editing, so nothing new in that sense. What actually caught my attention were two brief moments when the camera operator's shadow gave the game away -- that person was throwing the camera, as opposed to waving it around on a selfie stick. Later on, you can also just about see another person holding an upside-down umbrella for catching the camera.
Insta360 Pro 2 captures 8K VR video with stabilization
Back in December, Insta360 managed to prolong the life of its professional VR camera, the aptly-named Insta360 Pro, with a significant firmware upgrade. But of course, since there is only so much that software can do, the company is now bringing us the Insta360 Pro 2 to offer a bigger performance bump, while also aiming to simplify one's VR production workflow. Most notably, this 3.42-pound camera can capture 360 video at up to 8K 3D at 30 fps, and thanks to its new 9-axis gyroscope, it's backed by the company's impressive FlowState stabilization technology, thus offering more creative freedom to users. Another major addition to the kit is the dedicated "Farsight" 5.18GHz video transmission system, which is plugged into the camera via the LAN port, has a 300m range and is said to be a more reliable alternative to the old WiFi for live monitoring on a mobile device; hence the higher price tag -- $5,000 instead of $3,499.
Adobe Premiere makes it easier to edit Insta360 Pro footage
Insta360's more affordable 8K VR camera was made available for pre-orders in 2017, with a major software update in December of that same year that kicked the high-end 360-degree camera's image processing up a notch. The camera got a stamp of approval from Google last year, too, which gives you the power to contribute to the tech giant's Street View mapping with the device. Now Adobe just made editing 360 video captured with the Insta360 Pro much easier with a new plugin for Adobe Premiere Pro CC.
B&O's Beoplay P6 speaker blasts your summer playlists in all directions
Danish luxury A/V company Bang & Olufsen has launched a number of more affordable speakers under its more approachable B&O Play brand, and today it added yet another option. The Beoplay P6 is the company's latest wireless speaker, offering Bluetooth connectivity with your go-to music-playing device. Like the Beoplay A1 that came before it, the P6 has an aluminum exterior with a leather carry strap. B&O says the design is also dust and splash resistant, so you don't need to worry about taking the device outdoors.
Insta360 Nano S does multi-cam video with 4K spherical capture
Before the Pro, One and Air, Insta360 was already known for its relatively affordable 360-degree camera dongle, Nano, which was released for iOS devices since 2016. For CES 2018, the Chinese startup brought out a Nano S, which makes use of the same form factor (so it'll work with existing Nano accessories) but has upgraded guts to capture 4K video and 20-megapixel photos -- a notable jump from 3K video and 4.6-megapixel stills on the previous-generation device. There's also a new matte-black option in addition to the original silver offering, while the microSD card slot remains for standalone camera mode.
Facebook adds a sound and music library you can use for video
Facebook has a bunch of new tools for video creators. First up, it has launched a community hub for 360 degree video (which isn't live for everyone just yet) that gathers educational bits like how to use 360 degree cameras, how to edit said videos and a primer on spatial audio. Speaking of editing, the social network has also launched 360 Director, a page with tools for adding annotation, setting zoom level, and the ability to save a video as a draft, among others. Facebook will also loan out the pricey cameras, starting with the GoPro Fusion and ZCam S1 at launch.
Insta360 One is a 4K 360 camera with smart tricks
For those who haven't been following, earlier Insta360 released a montage of cool sample clips to tease its upcoming camera's bullet-time video capability. What baffled me at the time was how those slow-motion shots orbited around a person with his upright arm seemingly holding onto something, except there was no visible string nor selfie stick to suggest that the camera was being swung around. Well, as it turns out, I was wrong, but there's no need to be disappointed -- it actually takes a lot more than just a piece of string to achieve this bullet-time effect.
Facebook boosts live 360 video to 4K for better VR
Following YouTube's support for 4K live 360 video late last year, it was only a matter of time before Facebook caught up. After all, Zuckerberg's betting big on VR. Today, the social media giant announced the launch of 4K resolution for live 360 streams, meaning we can soon enjoy more immersive VR live streams via the Facebook 360 app for Gear VR. This also preps the platform well for when 4K VR headsets finally go mainstream. As part of this update, Facebook is also bringing its Donate Button and Scheduled Live features over to its live 360 video service, in the hopes of driving 360 video viewership while helping out non-profits.
GoPro is testing its 360 VR camera with select broadcasters
It may not be out yet, but GoPro's Fusion 360 VR camera will soon be used to capture UFC fights, news footage, and awards ceremonies. To showcase the device's 5k resolution capabilities, GoPro is trialling the Fusion with partners such as Fox Sports, the Golden State Warriors, and USA Today.
